The Tenth Jinjuuriki
by lizlovestoread
Summary: Everyone knows the story of Naruto Uzumaki... but what happened before Naruto went away for those three years with Jiraiya Sensei? Her name is Kasai and she's got quite a temper on her, she's always moving & knows a lot of people from every land, and everyone from the Leaf, including the Sanin and Akatsuki. What happens when she runs into the Leaf's Number One Knuckle-headed Ninja?
1. The Annoying Blond Ninja

**The Annoying Orange Jumpsuite Knuckleheaded Ninja**

I groaned, waking to the sound of birds chirping as the sun had just began to rise. I sat up in my tree, the birds around me making their nests and bringing their offsprings food. It was spring after all, and I was on the border of The Land of Fire and The Land of Rivers. Sleeping in a tree isn't all it's cracked up to be but it keeps me safe throughout the night, especially when I have the animals on my side.

"Time to start moving. I've gatta reach the Land of Wind before night fall." I stretched my limbs out, wincing at the small fracture in my wrist, "blasted thing, where did this come from?" I sighed and held my other hand over the fracture and focused. A green glow of chakra appeared out of my hand and I could feel the bone mending itself and smiled at my abilities. I was pretty good for being self taught, I knew a lot of Jutsu and they aren't mere immitations, I don't have the Sharingan or anything, kinda. I have one Kekke Genkai, and no one has heard of it because all of my ancestors never used it. My family didn't make it far since Orochimaru made it and stole us, keeping us in cells and experimenting on us for our Kekke Genkai. I'm still not sure if he let me go or if I actually got away from Kabuto those few months ago, I could definitely still feel the side effects of those experiments. Luckily, for me not for Sasuke, since Sasuke was late, Orochimaru decided that he didn't need me quite yet. He wanted to get the feeling of the Sharingan down before he touched my Kekkei Genkei.

I shook my head to get those ugly thoughts out of my head, thing is, I never can. I think about all of this day and night, when you travel alone, there's nothing to distract you from your thoughts. I'm a really depressing person now because of it. I sighed as I pulled my grey hair into a long braid along my back, and after fixing my clothes I grabbed my bag and put it on my shoulders.

"Sunagakure, here I come." I don't know if looking like a normal girl is a good idea or not, but it makes my travels more interesting, especially when I pull my innocent-lost-girl-act. I don't consider it stealing if they give it to me out of their own free will, a little persuasion is a ninja's greatest tool when it comes to survival. I heard some footsteps ahead of me and some chatter_, it sounds like... three? No four people in a group... and one of them is obnoxiously loud... _I quickly dashed into the trees, hoping to conceal myself before the group got to where I was standing.

"What was that?" The obnoxious voice asked rather loudly, _this kid is a ninja? How has he survived in stealth operations?_ A kunai was thrown my way, I gasped, dodging it. It skimmed across my side on my left ribcage and I grunted, grasping the new wound tightly. More footsteps, guess they're checking to see if there's anyone here. "Who are you?" I looked up to come face to face with a blonde haired brat that was the owner of the obnoxious voice.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You just go throwin' kunai's at people!?" I yelled, standing and glaring at him, he seemed to shrink back and rub the back of his head. _Hm.. his features seem familiar... _I looked at the other three in his group, one of them had grey eyes and pale skin, bandages on his right arm and leg. There was one girl with them, she had pink hair and looked like a complete and total weakling when it came to actual battle, Kunoichi's these days from the Hidden Leaf weren't all that great. _Wait.. They're from the Hidden Leaf._

"Hello?" His obnoxious voice broke me out of my thoughts and I realized I was staring at the group,

"Sorry about him." Said the gray haired Jonin of the group, smacking the annoying one across the head. I giggled, covering my mouth, _I'm giggling? Ew. _I shook my head and looked at the group,

"You're from the village Hidden in the Leaves? What are you doing coming from Sunagakure?" I asked, not wanting to be the one being interrogated. The one with the long brown hair narrowed his eyes, observing me. I felt my skin crawling under his gaze as I shifted my weight from my side to a stance I created so I could be ready for anything. Apparently the one with the staring eyes decided that I was going to attack because he activated his Byakugan to see if I was gathering up chakra.

"Neji, calm down." The grey haired one ordered and Neji tsk-ed as he turned his head away. "I'm sorry for these two, this one is our hyperactive-knuckle headed-ninja and the other is considered a genius so he lets it get to his head." The man gave me a closed eye smile, wonder what happened to his other eye. But I couldn't help but smile back, the girl with the short pink hair stepped up,

"Here, let me help you, I've been training under a master Medical Ninja." Was she bragging? I took a step back from her, my guard up and the four of them could tell I didn't trust people easily, maybe they'll just leave now. "It's okay, we aren't going to hurt you." I glared at her, _did she seriously just say that? After the dumb one threw a kunai at me?_ I could see her glare at the blond one and she went over and boxed him in the face and started yelling at him. The blond one started tearing up and sat there, taking it, the brown haired one turned away from them with a sigh and the sensei came over to me putting a hand to his mouth.

"Hello, Kasai, long time no see." I grinned at him since the others were distracted,

"Hello, Kakashi Sensei, long time indeed. I see you've got some troublesome students." I rolled my eyes as he sighed in agreement,

"They're more trouble than you think, but they've pulled through on countless missions." He explained then pointed at the blond one getting lectured, "That one is Naruto Uzamaki, the girl is Sakura Haruno, and the one over here skulking is Neji Hyuga." Hearing his name being said, Neji made his way over to us.

"I could tell he was a Hyuga, he's got the Byakugan." To which I made a handsign and closed my eyes as I suddenly reopened them and looked at him with my own Byakugan. He looked like he would've jumped out of his skin if he didn't have such good composure,

"You have the Byakugan? But you aren't... How?" He asked, he probably thought I was using a partial transformation jutsu, but I wasn't. I laughed as I released my eyes from the jutsu and looked at him.

"I'll just let you wander that, genius." Apparently he didn't like the fact that I mocked him, so he growled lightly and turned away from me, _isn't that adorable. _Sakura suddenly switched her attention to us when she heard Byakugan so many times and looked at me,

"Where are you from? You're obviously a Kunoichi but you don't have a headband." I flinched lightly at her observation but made no motion to show that it affected me. She was right, I hadn't worn a headband from home because people would attack the village to find me. Like the Akatski. Naruto noticed my hesitation as I thought about how to explain it,

"Are you a rogue?" Naruto asked, leaning forward to peer at my face once again, my eye twitched in irritation. Sakura once again punched him in the face and a big bulge appeared on his jaw,

"Idiot! Of course she isn't a rogue! Rogue's attack travelers all the time-"

"He's right."

"Huh?" Naruto and Sakura both responded simultaneously as Neji looked at me surprised,

"I don't belong to a village, I'm just a wanderer. I wasn't kicked out of my village, nor have I abandoned it. I just travel a lot." I shifted my gaze to look at Kakashi again, he knew the whole story. Anyone that heard of the attack on the Land of Lightening, Kumogakure, knew of my predicament. A lot of people may know about what happened, but they don't know that it was me since I move around from place to place a lot.

"Then why don't you wear a headband?" Naruto asked, not understanding it, I sighed. This kid is dense.

"How did you ever become a ninja? Seriously, you're dense." I stated, picking my bag up again and tossing it over my shoulder, a shooting pain went up my left side and I was suddenly reminded of how we met. I looked at Sakura, who seemed to be the most upset and worried out of the bunch, I knew Kakashi was and he wouldn't show it. "Sakura, was it?"

"Yeah." She nodded, moving forward, understanding what I needed, "I need you three to move back to the trail and wait."

"What? Why?" Naruto asked and I looked at Kakashi,

"Seriously..." I mumbled, Kakashi just shrugged and grabbed Naruto, hoisting him onto his shoulder as they walked back to the trail.

"We'll stay close, just in case." Neji told Sakura and she nodded, "Just yell if you need us."

"Overprotective much? Is he your boyfriend?" That made him red in the face as he walked away, probably fuming. I sat back onto the ground, removing my bag as Sakura opened her own to grab some gauze. I whined like a dog and looked at the torn material and blood.

"I've had this shirt for almost two years and an idiot attacks me and tears it. I must be losing my touch." I sighed as she looked at me, waiting for me to remove my own clothing and I slid my arms out of the red and black over jacket I had on over my mesh-fishnet-type-shirt and lifted my arms up to take my shirt off and winced.

"Looks like we might have to cut the material all around to get to the wound, is that okay?" Sakura asked, I hung my head as I heard Naruto-

"What!? She's from Konoha?! But she doesn't wear her headband! How can she-

"Naruto, Sasuke left the village and he doesn't wear his headband, but others that have abandoned their villages do with a cut across their insignia." Kakashi explained, and apparently Sasuke was taboo to him and Sakura because Sakura got automatically depressed and tried to hide it with a smile. I've heard all about Sasuke and the Uchiha's, how Itachi killed his entire clan. The thing is, no one but a very select few know the truth behind it, and I'm one of the few.

"I'm sorry." Sakura looked up at me, her emerald eyes full of pain and confusion,

"For what? Naruto? No he's always like this and-"

"I meant about Sasuke." Her eyes seemed to soften at my words and she smiled,

"What do you know about it? Word travels fast apparently... It happened almost a year ago." She began to whisper about it, telling me everything, I guess she needed to get her emotions off her chest. _Doesn't she have any friends to talk to about this? _She was wrapping my stomach up with gauze and such while she spoke, then she healed the deeper part of it.

"That's fine. I don't need it healed all the way, Sakura." I couldn't meet her gaze, I had seen Sasuke a few months back, I was the only person he was himself around now and I took that away from him when I escaped. He didn't stop me, but he asked me to come and visit once a month so he could still have himself, he was afraid of losing that. I told him that it was part of what made him stronger, being yourself, it's how this Naruto kid did it. He talked a lot about Naruto and Itachi, how he wanted to fight both of them, for very different reasons. I wasn't going to tell her any of this.

"Okay. But the least we can do is have you come back with us to the village so we can replace that shirt and keep an eye on that wound." This girl is persistent. I nodded, standing and putting my jacket back on. I lifted my bag onto my good side and followed Sakura back to the trail,

"I told her that I wanted to keep an eye on her wound, Kakashi Sensei, is it okay that she comes back to the village with us?" Sakura asked, so she told me I could come but asked her Sensei afterwards... _What a child._

"I'm sure Lady Hokage would love to see her face again, so I'm gonna say it's fine." Kakashi responded with a shrug and began walking, the others just stared at me with confusion. _Kakashi... I swear, when we get to the village, I'm gonna burn all your books_. I followed after him and stayed in step, this is going to be a long walk.


	2. The Village Hidden In The Leaves

**A/N: As I said, this story will take some time, and I may forget to update, if I don't update for at least a week, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO MESSAGE ME ABOUT IT. I forget things very** **easily **

**Kasai's POV**

"The Hidden Leaf Village, thank Kami!" I yelled, running ahead of even Naruto, who I've found out is not only obnoxious, but also hyper. Very hyper. I ran past Naruto and the two Jonin at the gate stared big eyed at me,

"Kasai? Is that you?" The one with a sort of cloth just over his nose, _wait, I know this guy!_

"Kotestsu?!" I yelled, running over and nearly tackling him with a hug, he laughed and wrapped his arms around me.

"How is my little wolf pup?" He asked, giving my head a pat as he sat me back down on the ground.

"Well," I gave a sidelong glance at the group I was with, who was now looking confused as hell. I wanted to laugh but showing emotion is what nearly got me killed when I was at the Akatski residence until Orochimaru left. Kotestsu looked at the group and laughed,

"I was the one who raised her while she was here, until she was old enough to go off on her own." Kotestsu explained, grabbing me once again by the shoulder as Kakashi nodded in understanding. I almost forgot why I was here, I had heard from Naruto, very loudly, that 'Grandma Tsunade' was Hokage. Tsunade was one of the three Sanin that saved me from my own clan, which they wanted to kill me once they found out I had a demon spirit sealed within me. That's right, I'm a Jinjuuriki. I'm the tenth, out of eleven, but that's all in a different story. I have the Ōkami seishin within me. The wolf spirit. On the same day that the Kyuubi attacked the Leaf, the Okami attacked the Land of Lightening's Kumogakure, so two people did what The Fourth Hokage did. Unfortunately there are Eleven of us, and I don't plan on being a weapon for any village. This power isn't for anyone.

"No way! You mean Kasai was in the Leaf Village?! She's a Leaf shinobi?!" Naruto yelled, his eyes going to white circles with surprise, _how does Sakura deal with this?_ I saw Neji was being quite, like usual. I sighed and looked at Kotestsu and Genma,

"I'll see you guys later, kay?" I stated, putting my hands together and using the teleportation jutsu to teleport to the Hokage's residence. I could hear a racket from the top of the Hokage building, "Jeez, why is he so loud?" Naruto was having a freak attack because I disappeared.

"You know," I jumped with a small squeal, instantly regretting the squeal as I saw that it was Kakashi. "You really shouldn't just disappear like that. People would worry about you if they didn't know where you were going." My eye twitched as I mimmicked his one eye closed smile,

"You know, you really shouldn't sneak up on people, Kakashi Sensei." He saw my smile and tilted his head to the side with a 'hm?' _POOF._

"Substitution?" Kakashi wondered aloud, amazed that he didn't see it coming as a log of wood was in my spot, I ran down the hallway of the Hokage's building and away from Kakashi. _Why are all these Leaf Ninja so nosy?_ I ran down the corridor and to a familiar room, _this used to be the Third Hokage's office... _Suddenly the door swung open and smashed me in the face, I hit the ground holding my nose.

"What the hell is your d-" I stared up at a three man squad, one with brown hair and slits for eyes with a white dog on his head, the other male had a grey shirt that covered his face and sunglasses that hid his eyes- this guy would creep me out if I was any other _normal_ girl- and the girl looked very timid as she bowed her head in apology. Her dark navy blue hair falling over her pale eyes, _she must be a Hyuga too, she has the same eyes as Neji.._

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me." Squeaked her soft voice, I sighed sitting up and wrinkling my nose like a dog would,

"It's alright. I just didn't expect the door to come swinging open on me." The two boys looked at each other questioningly, probably thinking I was Bipolar now. I shrugged it off and saw the dog wagging his tail, "Well aren't you adorable!" I squealed taking the small puppy off of the brown haired guys head. The dog yapped happily and licked my face,

"A-akamaru?" The boy stuttered, utterly surprised at how easily his dog took to me. I giggled as I was licked,

"So your name is Akamaru, huh?" Akamaru barked happily and crawled into my jacket and popped his head back out, snuggling into me. I turned slightly red, unused to this, but smiled. "Aw, you're so adorable." The blue haired girl looked in surprise at the dog then to the boy who had his jaw dropped.

"Akamaru? What's with you?! You shouldn't like strangers so easily!" He barked at his own dog, who in turn, barked back at him. I could see an anger mark on Akamaru for the guy yelling at him. "What do you mean she isn't a stranger?" The dog yapped and the guy nodded as he looked at me up and down, then he leaned forward and... _sniffed _me. I leaned back slightly,

"You do smell familiar. Who are you?"

"You must be part of the Inuzuka clan. Those noses of yours are very useful. But they could end up being your downfall at one point or another." I lifted the dog out of my shirt and put it back on the boys head as he looked at me in surprise. I dashed through them, all of them dumbfounded except for Akamaru, who knew exactly what was going on, and into the Hokage's room.

"Lady Hokage, I'm home~," I sang as I was met with Shizune's shocked expression and TonTon came over and jumped up to me. I held the sweet little pig tightly. "Long time no see, Tonton." She oinked with delight as Tsunade turned around and saw who I was,

"Kasai? How in the world- why have you returned? Is something wrong? Are the Akatski after you again?" Her eyes immediately narrowed upon my return and she was growing with more and more concern about her village each second. I released Tonton and she followed me over to the Hokage's desk.

"Lady Hokage, I have returned because I was swept away by one of your ninja squads when I was on my way to Sunagakure. Kakashi's team: Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzamaki, and Neji Hyuga. Naruto was being an idiot- apparently as usual- and threw a Kunai in my direction, catching my side. Sakura patched me up but wanted to keep an eye on the wound so I was forced to come back." I explained as she visibly relaxed at my explanation.

"Thank Kami, I don't need anything else to go wrong." Tsunade sighed, sitting back in her chair with exhaustion plain in her features.

"If you don't mind me asking... What happened? I know Sasuke was taken from the village, but I don't know all of the story. He didn't talk about home too much unless Naruto or Itachi was involved." Tsunade's eyes snapped open and caught my gaze quickly,

"You were with Sasuke Uchiha?" Her raspy feminine voice asked me, _shit, I just shared too much information... -_-'_

"After I left the village seven years ago, I was kidnapped on the road by the Akatski and Orochimaru was still part of that organization. After six months of my being there he kidnapped me as well and took me to his hideout somewhere in the Sound Village." I was standing straight as I was giving her my report about my past, I might have been young when I left but if I had trained under one of the Sanin, I could have become one. "After Sasuke had shown up, I'm not sure if I was released or I actually got away." Tsunade seemed to grow grim upon hearing what had happened to me after I had left. She folded her hands in front of her on her desk and closed her eyes as she thought.

"Wait, you grew up in this village?" A voice asked, _those three haven't left yet? Ugh! Now they now my past, that's annoying. _I turned to see the three from before standing in the doorway,

"Shouldn't you have left?" I asked in a deadly neutral tone, glaring down at the girl, knowing she'd crack under my gaze. She hid behind the brown haired one with the weird jacket and he glared defiantly at me. As defiant a glare can be behind sunglasses.

"We wanted to know who you were, since my dog and Shino's insects reacted with ease around you instead of how they usually do." The dog owner stated, taking a step towards me, which made me go into a defensive position.

"I'm just good with animals, no matter what species. That answer your question?" Shino seemed to look up at me, but it was hard to tell with those stupid glasses of his. A bug flew out of his shirt and towards me, "Is that...?" I allowed the bug to land on me and watched as it crawled up my arm and gathered information on me. I know this bug. It can tell a bunch about you just by the smell and taste of you,

"Ow," I gasped in surprise, "it bit me..." I wrinkled my nose again as the bug flew back to Shino, I smiled, "Got what you wanted?"

"No." He replied, I could tell there was slight irritation in his voice as his bug didn't work for once. The two looked at him in surprise as the Hokage stood,

"Listen up you four. I need you to gather certain Jonin together for the next mission I have." Automatically, the three of them stood straight and listened, I just ignored her. "Kasai, you better damn well be paying attention." She growled, which got my attention as my eyes snapped to hers, she nodded and continued talking. "If you four can find three Jonin for me: Kakashi, Guy, and Asuma, then I can get Kasai on this mission."

"Why is Kasai going on a mission with three other Jonin?" Dog boy asked, it's a good question since he didn't know me.

"Because, Kiba Inuzuka. If she had continued her training here in the Leaf instead of leaving for the safety of our village, she could be at my level of skills. She's a Jounin with a level of Kage and Sanin possible and within her reach. She isn't a normal ninja. She graduated the academy at the age of four, did several S-rank missions after she took the Chunin exams at the age of Six, and multiple A-ranks. She was never given D, C, or B, unless they had a possibility of getting dangerous." Tsunade explained, the three looked at her with surprise, even Shino's jaw dropped at this information.

"Lady Hokage... I think that's enough information about me. I'm not suppose to exist here, remember?" She nodded and looked at the three once again,

"Go find me those three Jounin and I'll have to give them my mission. Remember: Kakashi, Guy, and Asuma."

"Yes, Lady Hokage." The three of them nodded and disappeared out of the room to look for the Jounin she had summoned,

"Kakashi never left the roof." I said as he fell off the roof from surprise of my statement,

"Ehehe, hey there." He embarrassingly stated, giving a sort of wave as the Hokage grabbed him and threw him into the room.

"So you heard it all, did you?" She asked once that little scuffle was over, Kakashi had a big lump on his head and a sweatdrop on the back of it.

"I heard it. I knew some of it because she studied with the Anbu Black Ops for a while if I remember correctly." I nodded as he continued, "thought so. Anyways, what's this mission you need me, Guy, and Asuma for?" Tsunade looked at him with dead serious eyes.

"This mission may kill all of you. The three of you are among the strongest Jounin I know. Jiriyah is off on another mission doing Recon on the Akatsuki so I need you three to help protect Kasai while she shows you where Orochimaru's official hideout is in the Sound Village."

"What?! Are you insane?! I can't go back there! I just got out a few weeks ago!" I yelled, terrified of going back, images of needles, tubes, and sharp objects entered my brain and I collapsed onto the floor in a crumpled heap. _No, I can't go back. Even the Akatsuki couldn't protect me from Orochimaru!_

"Kasai!" Kakashi called in surprise and knelt down next to me, picking me up as I curled into him, crying.

"I can't go back, I can't go back, I can't go back," I chanted repeatedly, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Kakashi held me tight as someone else appeared in the room,

"Asuma. I'm sorry to have called you on such short notice just to tell you nevermind. It seems our source is having a panic attack." She dismissed Asuma and told Kakashi to take me to my apartment.

"Since she's our only lead on where to find Orochimaru and Sasuke we'll have to keep an eye on her, and that means keeping her in our village. The other villages must not know this. This could start a war, having two Jinjuuriki's in our midst, the other countries will deem it as fair game to attack." Tsunade explained, Kakashi nodded and my shaking started up again. _I can't start a war just because I'm staying here... I have to leave. I'll do it tonight._

Kakashi took me to a rather tall building and unlocked a door,

"I hope you don't mind staying here with me, Kasai. It's the safest place and we don't have any apartments open in the village with all the construction going on." I turned red and felt better,

"You want me to stay here with you? Perv." I mumbled, looking away from him, I could feel him chuckle.

"You're just like your mother. But no, I'm not Jiraiya-Sensei." He sighed as he showed his room could be extended into two, "There's another bed in there that you could use, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to find me and ask. Unless I'm on a mission, then go bother someone else." I could feel an anger mark on my head,

"I won't bother anyone, okay?" I closed my eyes and folded my arms and I heard Kakashi 'hm' in a sort of chuckle, then a hand fell onto my head.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, coming down face to face with me, making me turn red again. I may be some of the only people who've seen him with his mask off, but that doesn't make it any easier to glare at him with his mask on.

"No, I'm-" my stomach rumbled, giving me away, I hung my head in defeat. "I'm starving." He laughed as he opened his apartment door,

"Get settled in and I'll meet you at Ichiraku Ramen."

"Wait-" Poof. _That bastard, it's been too long since I've been in this village... What's an Ichiraku?_ I shrugged it off and sighed, I'd find that out later. I grabbed my pack as there was a slight knock on the door,

"Kasai? It's Sakura, I was told you were living here with Kakashi-Sensei for a while." _Great, I just can't get a break from the stupid can I?_

"Come on in, it's open." I called, unpacking only some of my things, keeping my personal stuff in my pack. I stood as she walked into the room, I removed my jacket as she helped it off and looked at the wound.

"It seems like it's healing nicely, and quicker than usual. It must be because we caught it right after Naruto hurt you." _If that's what you want to think, Sakura, go right ahead. But I know that the Okami is healing me, quicker than usual is right. How Naruto's Kunai caught me I should've at least been scrapped to the bone. But I started healing as soon as the Kunai made contact with skin. It's not as fast as Kabuto's medical Ninjutsu, but it's faster than a regular person._ I lifted my arms up slightly, letting her rewrap my wound.

"Thanks, Sakura. I don't understand why you would just help out a random stranger like that."

"To be honest, you remind me a lot of Naruto. Mixed in with a little of our friends of course. But... Your eyes..." I looked down at her with my fire colored eyes that always looked like flickering flames. "Your eyes reminded me of Sasuke." I flinched, but not so much that she would detect it, _am I in that bad of a place right now that my eyes look like Sasuke's?_ I glared down at her and took a step back, finishing the wrapping on my own.

"Sakura." She immediately snapped up to attention,

"Y-yes?"

"Leave." I looked at her with my Sharingan, she gasped and turned pale, "Never compare me to that bastard Sasuke again." My eyes narrowed and she began to shake as she ran out of the room.

"Tch. Stupid girl shouldn't have compared me to that stupid brat. No wonder they're perfect for each other." I scoffed, picking up my knapsack and jumping out the window in search of whatever an Ichiraku was.

**A/N: Well here's to chapter two! Yay! :D I know it's only chapter two, but I've put a poll up on my page about who you want to see more Kasai Time with :3 do vote and do tell! :)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Kasai**


	3. Kiba's Day Off

I jumped from rooftop to rooftop looking for the shop Kakashi told me about, I smashed into someone.

"Hey, watch where you're-"

"Bark, bark!" My face was licked by a small white dog,

"Akamaru?" I asked, looking up to see Kiba Inuzuka in front of me. His dog nuzzled me and I couldn't help but smile, picking his dog up and nuzzling him back. Kiba knelt down in front of me and held out his hand,

"Sorry about that." His usually arrogant voice was soft and apologetic as he held out his hand, I took his hand and he helped me stand while Akamaru climbed into my shirt. I had to bite my lip to keep from squealing with surprise,

"Why does your dog do that?" I pointed to my chest and a dog head popped out of my shirt, he shook his tail and I giggled as it tickled my stomach. Akamaru barked happily as Kiba blushed slightly, averting his eyes and rubbing the back of his head.

"Uh, he usually does that to me. I've gotten used to the tickle of his fur on my stomach." He laughed as he watched me squirm and try to contain my giggles. His hood was pushed back and he had brown hair and he didn't look half bad. I shook my head, _get those thoughts out of your head. You can't even think about making friends here. You have to keep moving, remember? _ Kiba looked at me questioningly,

"Um..." I blushed lightly, being caught staring, "I need to find Ichiraku's..." I drawled out the name because I wasn't sure if that was what it was called. He smiled,

"Ichiraku Ramen? Yeah that place is great, lemme show you where it's at."

"But aren't you doing something else?" I asked as he jumped in the opposite direction I was heading, so much for having a great sense of direction. _I must be really hungry if I can't even tell which direction I'm going. _Kiba just smiled as he looked back at me,"Nah, it was just a little training, but it won't take long to show you where Ichiraku's is at. You're good at finding your way around, right?"

"I thought I was proving otherwise..." I rubbed the back of my head as Akamaru barked a few times and Kiba laughed, wait... I think Akamaru is laughing at me with Kiba. "Was your dog just laughing at me?" I questioned and he seemed surprised,

"Usually people don't catch on to the different barks that dogs give. But, yeah, he was laughing."

"You little," I looked down at him, "I hope your comfy because this isn't gonna last long if you keep laughing at me." The dog stopped laughing automatically. Kiba again looked confused and surprised for the millionth time since I've seen him today in the past few hours. A few more jumps and we arrived at a small wooden shop with blue flaps on the outside and a lamp that read 'Ichiraku's!' on it.

"Well, here you are." Kiba announced, stopping on the ground inches from where I would land, I had to force myself back a bit so I wouldn't land just inches away from his face.

"There you are, what took you so long?" Kakashi's voice came from behind me and I turned around, pulling my leg up to kick him in the chin. He blocked it with ease as he looked down at me, "What'd I do?"

"SOMEONE forgot to give me directions!" I yelled, glaring at him like Orochimaru would at his prey. Kakashi froze and I realized what I was doing, I quickly blinked a few times and looked away, "Sorry..." I mumbled as I looked back at Kiba.

"Thank you very much, mutt." I stated, sticking my tongue out as I bowed, he growled and took a few steps forward,

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Mutt."

"You're asking for it, I don't care if you are a lady, I'm gonna sock ya!" Akamaru barked at him and he blinked out of surprise, is Akamaru protecting me? I grinned triumphantly as he growled at me again,

"Kiba, why don't you stay for dinner?" Kakashi asked, making my first night back worse.

"But, Kakashi-"

"No buts. He helped you find your way, you have to repay him." Kakashi could have shook a finger in my face the way he was sounding like Iruka. I scoffed and walked towards the stools,

"Welcome! Oh, hello, Kakshi!" The brown haired woman automatically got all heart eyed for Kakashi as she dashed around to get what he usually orders and had given it to him within seconds of showing himself in the shop.

"I think it's safe to assume that she's seen your face, Kakashi." I whispered to him, he looked up at me confused,

"Hm?"

"You have no idea the effect you have on women your age, do you?" I asked, feeling myself sweatdrop as Kiba sat next to me.

"Yahoo! Can't wait to grab some grub~." Kiba yelled, I glared at him,

"You might be more annoying than Naruto." His own eyes narrowed at that statement,

"Run that by me again?""Isn't Akamaru adorable?!" I asked, holding him out in front of Kiba's face as Akamaru barked and began to wag his tail. _Dodged a bullet there, apparently he hates being compared to Naruto..._ I think anyone would be from what I've seen. I looked at Kiba with a smile and he grinned, catching on to what I did,

"Yeah, you're safe for now." He looked over at the brown haired lady that wouldn't stop staring at Kakashi, he gave her his order and it took three tries until she finally snapped out of it.

"Oh! Right away! Father! Two of the specials for the cute couple!" She called, running to the back.

"Couple!? Cute?!" Kiba and I exclaimed looking at each other with pure discus and turning more red by the minute. Kakashi smiled and removed his mask to eat and I just plopped my head onto the bar, a loud thunk sounded.

"That sounded like it hurt..." Kiba stated, looking at me, I turned my head to look at him and giggled,

"You must be weak if that would've hurt you."

"What did you say!?"

"I'm pretty sure you heard me." I spat back, a smile growing on our faces as we laughed at each other, Kakshi looked like he was about to jump in and break us up but he found out quickly that we were just messing around with each other. I sat up and saw the ramen Kiba had ordered me without asking,

"This looks delicious! I haven't had real ramen since I left..." I looked down as I remembered growing up from place to place. In the land of lightening, I was in an orphanage after my entire family had been killed or gone missing. After that, I was only two when I was grabbed by Kotestsu and dragged to the Leaf. From then on until I was captured by the Akatski and Orochimaru I haven't had real ramen since. Hidan was an okay cook, but I ended up cooking majority of the time while I was with them. After they were done torturing me for information concerning the other Jinjuuriki.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kiba asked, putting a hand on my shoulder, which would've been a nice gesture had I not been caught off guard. I grabbed his hand, and twisted my body using my foot to slide so I threw Kiba outside Ichiraku's and he flew pretty far. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy about it.

"What the hell was that for?! I was just concerned about you!" He yelled at me, getting in my face. _I will not cry... I will not cry... I... will.. not... damn it...!_ I shoved him out of my way and ran for it, trying to go back to Kakashi's place. I was running blindly since I was crying, my hands in front of my face. Dashing from rooftop to rooftop, I finally found one where I could hide behind some stuff on and curled into myself. A soft whimpering brought me out of my misery as I looked down at my chest to see Akamaru nuzzling into me and he began to lick my tears,

"Oh, Akamaru! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to steal you..." I apologized, picking him up and holding him close, he nuzzled me some more. "So you want to make me feel better, huh?" I laughed through my tears as he barked happily and licked my face some more. I looked up to see the sun finally setting,

"Wow... Isn't that beautiful..." The sun was setting just behind the trees and it had mixtures of purple, pinks, and yellows in it, making the clouds look like cotton candy. I sighed, leaning against the box I had hidden behind and pulled my hair out of it's braid. Akamaru wasted no time in snuggling into my hair and using it like a second coat of fur. "I'm glad you like it, it hasn't been cut since I was born. Sometimes I use it as a blanket, too." We sat quietly as Akamaru fell asleep in my lap in my hair, "Kiba is probably worried sick about you... I should apologize for earlier, it was a reflex, after all." I sighed and just as I was about to sit up, a steaming bowl of ramen was shoved into my face.

"Eh?" I looked up and for the second time today, I saw Kiba standing in front of me with a slight blush, looking away and holding out the bowl of ramen. He sat the ramen down next to me and sat down on the other side of me, taking his jacket off.

"Akamaru fell asleep, huh?" He asked, looking out at the sun over the forest. I nodded, taking the bowl and digging in, "Isutakimaaaasu!" I squealed with delight, downing it. Kiba just smiled and I realized that I never felt him coming,

"How come I never saw you coming?"

"Do you use your nose too?" He asked, throwing me off for a second, I thought about it then nodded,

"Yeah, I don't realize it though, sometimes."

"Well, you've had Akamaru under your nose for some time. Akamaru and I practically share the same scent, so you couldn't have smelled me coming near you since you were already so used to our scent." He explained, it sounded like a cloaking technique to use on guard dogs and other ninja dogs that hasn't really ever been thought of before. I nodded as I quickly finished my bowl of noodles, lifting the bowl up to suck it dry.

"You finished already?" His eyes were big circles in surprise, "man you're quicker than Naruto." He commented, making me sigh,

"What's with that kid? He's loud and obnoxious..."

"Yeah, that's what we all thought about him until we saw him in a serious situation. The kid fights with his heart and he never gives up, it's how he is. All of us respect him for that, and in a way, he's changed us all." Kiba's voice was thoughtful as he stroked Akamaru absentmindedly, his hand had landed on mine somehow in the process and we looked at each other. "Oh, uh, sorry." He laughed nervously as he looked away, I smiled as I picked Akamaru up and wrapped him in Kiba's jacket,

"Here. It's going to get dark soon, you go on ahead home, Kiba. Thanks for dinner." I smiled at him and he blushed even more than before as he grabbed Akamaru.

"Actually," he smirked, "thank Kakashi-Sensei, for once he didn't skip out on the bill and make on of us Genin pay for it. He can't pull that stuff on Shikamaru though."

"Shikamaru?" I asked, unfamiliar with the name,

"Oh, so you know the clans but not the people in them. Shikamaru Nara. His technique is his shadow possession jutsu, Choji Akamichi has his partial expansion and full expansion jutsu, Ino Yaminaka has her mind transfer and mind crush jutsus, I have-"

"Fang over fang and man-beast mimmickry." I cut him off, "I know all their abilities, just not the names with the faces. I had to study all the ninjas in the Leaf village- no actually in all the lands while I was... Um abroad a few years back..." I almost gave away that I was with Orochimaru, and if the orange ninja heard me mention him, I have a feeling he'd want answers. Answers I probably couldn't give.

"That's pretty cool, so you're up to speed with all of us, huh? Training with the Anbus is kinda awesome." He smiled cheesily at me and I couldn't help but laugh,

"Kiba?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you so nice to a random stranger? I mean everyone here is so nice and giving... It seems unnatural.""Well..." he seemed to take a moment to think of how to explain this, "I don't know where you grew up, but here, it's always been like this. We help anyone we can anyway we can. It's not like we always follow the missions by the book, we sometimes get sidetracked with someone we want to help."

"So you Leaf Ninjas are nosy?"

"Hey!" He meant to glare at me but I was already laughing, so he just laughed too.

"Kiba, you should get home. I think Akamaru would rather sleep at his own home tonight instead of a random roof." Kiba nodded, standing with Akamaru in his arms,

"Getting rid of me already, huh?" He smiled, seeing me get red, and waved a hand, "I'll be sure to find you later, if we aren't training that is." He waved and jumped a few times before disappearing into the maze of alleyways and houses.

"I'm sure you will... You probably have my scent memorized by now... Hey! Where's my ribbon?" I looked around for my hair ribbon/tie and couldn't find it, _Uh! It must've been wrapped around Akamaru somehow! Aw, great! _I stomped my foot irritated that I let this happen so easily! I got distracted by Kiba being so nice, I can't make friends, I've already told myself that. I have to grab my bag and leave soon. I can't make friends.

"Back to Kakashi's house." The sun had already set and it had been a few hours while we were talking, so it was the middle of the night, when everyone else was sleeping. I stopped just outside Kakashi's window when I saw something weird,

"Smoke...?" It took me a second to realize what it was, and when I did, I gasped, "Smoke screen!" I banged on Kakashi's window, which is right above his head when he's in bed, "Kakashi! Wake up!" I hissed, the window sliding open quickly.

"Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you'd gone off to after tossing Kiba like a base ball." He yawned, stretching his arms,

"We don't have time for that, there's a smoke screen going off in the village. It's a big one, too." I pointed out to the rest of the village as he looked up and his eyes widened.

"What's going on? A smoke screen that big, someone has to be running from something-"

"and it looks like they're running from the leaf village." I finished for him, moving so he could come out the window and a big explosion went off not that far from the outer wall. We could feel the force of the explosion from here and Kakshi moved in front of me, holding me close in a tight hug. Even Kakashi slid somewhat from the force. He released me as we saw the smoke rising,

"What just happened...?" I asked, taking a step towards the area where the smoke was rising. We stayed on the roof the rest of the night, until about six in the morning a messenger hawk swirled around the village, kawing. Summoning the elite of the village. Kakashi and I quickly got dressed, me in an outfit similar to Kakashi's. We were almost mirror images of each other, aside from my headband straight on my forehead and my hair long almost down to the ground, we could've been twins.

"Let's go." He said, and I nodded, following after him as the other elite ninjas of the Leaf were flitting around on rooftops to the Hokage's center. _I wonder what happened, is the village under attack?_


	4. S-Rank Lockdown!

As soon as all the Leaf Shinobi were present, we all stood in a group in front of the Hokage and Shizune in a small room in a tented like area. Everyone's expressions were grim, as if they could sense what was going to be told to them. Lady Tsunade nodded and a man with a bowl hair-do spoke up,

"So, then, you think someone's planning an attack against the Hidden Leaf Village, right?" Shizune nodded, her expression blank,

"For now, that's all we've got. It's the only possible explanation. Why else would they want those plans? Besides, Geno's last words would support that theory." Lady Tsunade's expression grew angry mixed with grimness,

"Even with the blue prints, it should take time to plan their assault. But we can't gamble our lives on that! We must assume that the enemy could attack us at anytime!" She announced, her brows furrowed and the guy with the green jumpsuit looked her dead in the eye with understanding. He then nodded with a soft 'hn.'

"I am going to authorize an S-level emergency security alert." Her eyes had flames within them, and instead of the soft golden color they usually were they were the color of ember flames. Her voice still echoed in our minds as we watched the doors to leave the village open slowly,"Leave only those necessary to guard the village and send every available Shinobi to secure the borders," we all ran towards the big green wooden doors with haste, "use whatever force necessary, attack anyone who attempts to cross the border." Her voice was still in my ears, ringing,

"They must not be allowed to reach the village!" We all echoed as we dashed out of the village and into the paths and corresponding forests that awaited us.

"Kasai!" My name was called, I stopped just feet outside the door as Kotetsu ran towards me, "Lady Hokage wants you and Shikamaru to stay within the village with the rest of the genin, women and children." I sighed at the order,

"Well, if it's from Lady Hokage. Be safe, come back home, alright, Kotetsu?" I gave him a swift hug, to which he returned it, and he dashed out of the village with a smile at me. I looked back at the village and then turned to watch the other Shinobi vanish one by one into darkness that the brink of dawn has yet to lighten.

Once the morning came and people started waking up, I was summoned by an anbu to Lady Tsunade's office. I nodded and followed the Anbu back,

"Thank you." I bowed to him as he disappeared and I walked into the office, where a spikey haired guy stood, looking bored as hell.

"This assignment's going to be a drag." He complained to the Hokage, which an anger mark appeared slightly on her head, _what an idiot... _Tsunade looked at me as I walked in,"Nonetheless, Shikamaru, I'll be counting on you and Kasai, that's why I'm asking you two to remain stationed here in the village."

"But in order to get this job done, I'm going to need more men than you've given me." Shizune started to grow irritated at his wayward attitude,

"We haven't gotten a single man to spare, so you'll just have to make do with what you've got." Shizune countered, _guess it's time to make myself known._

"I guess that's why I'm here." I stated, stepping forward into Shikamaru's field of vision as he sighed,

"Great." He stated, rubbing the back of his head. _Mister hot shot doesn't like working with others, huh?_ I glared at him and folded my arms,

"I thought all the top shinobi were sent out early this morning, and few others were held back to watch our village." Shikamaru complained about my presence, I guess he was more confused than irritated. Tsunade sighed, I guess she was more irritated than he was, but she just ignored him.

"Under the circumstances they're the best I could do. You're lucky to have Kasai with you." She stated, glaring at him, he groaned and rubbed his head.

"The best, huh?" He sighed,"Do you have a problem with me or something?" I asked, irritated as hell that he's not in the least bit thankful for my help. He seemed to actually realize what he was saying and took a step back with a nervous laugh,

"Uh, what I meant was-"

"That girls aren't helpful? You know I could kick your ass any day, right?" I asked, glaring at him. "And no, I'm not like other girls, I just don't like being underestimated." I turned on my heel and walked out.

"Uh, hey! Wait up!" Shikamaru called after me, running to catch up. Tsunade's voice called out to us,

"Come back! I'm not done with you yet!" I sighed and turned around, nearly smashing into Shikamaru, luckily enough though we both have good reflexes as we twisted in opposite directions and slammed into opposite sides of the walls in the small hallway. We looked at each other with surprise for a few moments then both dashed back into Tsunade's office. I had stopped but Shikamaru was clumsy and knocked into me, sending us to the floor in a heap,

"Shikamaru!" I yelled, turning red because he landed on top of me, one of his legs in between mine. He turned red and sort of yelped as he jolted himself backwards and landed on his ass. I stood up and turned the other way, folding my arms,

"Hmph!"

"Hey, sorry, I didn't expect you to stop so suddenly," he stated, standing again and dusting himself off. He had a slight blush across his cheeks now, then a knock sounded at the door. Tsunade stood and came around her desk, leaning back on it and then responded to the knocking,

"Come in." The door opened and Sakura and Naruto walked in,

"Thank you, ma'am, I brought Naruto like you asked." Sakura stated as she entered the office. I glared at the three of them, _please, Kami, don't let these be the only ones on our squad..._ I clasped my hands together in prayer as Naruto walked in and closed the door, he looked at Shikamaru.

"Hey, Shikamaru," he chuckled stupidly, "looks like I'm not the only one who was left out."

"Left out? What're you talking about?" Shikamaru asked, the obnoxious blond finally saw me and his eyes went into big white circles as he pointed at me,

"What!? You're a Chunin?!" He yelled, surprised, I folded my arms as my fire colored eyes glared at him. I smirked, closing my eyes,

"Actually, I'm a Jounin."

"What!?" Naruto's eyes started streaming with tears, "That's not fair... She's our age and she's a Jounin..." _You don't know my age, Naruto._

"Naruto, focus." Shikamaru stated, rolling his eyes, Naruto blinked then looked at Shikamaru again,"What did you think of all that fog last night? Pretty weird, huh?" Naruto asked Shikamaru. Sakura got into Naruto's face,

"Cut it out. I told you, you were dreaming." Sakura stated as Shikamaru put his hands behind his head.

"There wasn't any fog last night," Shikamaru stated, Sakura grinned triumphantly,

"You see, I told you so." Sakura replied snidely. I rolled my eyes,

"Hey idiots, he said there wasn't any fog. What you saw was a smoke screen." I stated, correcting both of them, "Sakura, are you saying you didn't even notice the smoke?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Naruto asked, Shikamaru stepped in to explain, stretching his arms out from his shoulders,

"I'll explain it all once everybody gets here." He stated, putting his hands on his hips, Sakura and Naruto looked at each other confused with a simultaneous 'huh?' Tsunade stepped forward to talk to all of us,

"Naruto, Sakura, the reason we took the two of you off the S-level emergency security unit was because we wanted you to work under Shikamaru and Kasai on a mission." Naruto shifted slightly,

"What?"

"That's right, we're working together." I stated, sighing with irritation, _thank Kami others are coming._ "First thing you need to do is gather more people." Shikamaru stated, looking at the two with the most serious expression I've seen on him so far. The two idiots again looked at each other confused, I swear, how are they shinobi? Shikamaru and I watched as they walked outside to start gathering people and sighed simultaneously,

"Well, let's go to the meeting place and wait for the others to show." I told him and he nodded his head,

"Might as well." He sighed as we headed out the door, "Hey... Uh..."

"Kasai."

"Right, Kasai, how come I've never seen you around the village before, but you're a Jounin and just around our age." Shikamaru laid out his thoughts for me, _so he's curious huh? Maybe I'll mess around with him for a bit..._ I looked at him with a glare,

"Waddya mean you've never seen me around? I was always in class with you but you were always skipping!" I yelled at him, faking my agitation as he sweatdropped and fell behind me.

"But you weren't at the chunin exams..."

"That's because once I was out of the academy I was tested right away. I automatically became a Chunin, then when the exams came around, the third gave me the title of Jounin." I explained, lying out of my teeth with an irritated look, "Jeez, Shikamaru, and I thought you were supposed to be smart." I seemed to have hit one of his buttons because he was quiet after that,

"Are you... Sulking?" I asked, smiling at him, he looked at me then a realization hit him,

"You were lying!" I gave him a sly smile,

"A ninja must always see through deception. I'd give you a B on that test. It took you too long. I could've killed you by now if I was an enemy infiltrating the village." (The irony) Shikamaru groaned,

"Why are women so complicated?"

"Actually, I'm very simple. I do what I'm told." I shrugged and walked beside him as we came upon the meeting site, it was in front of the memorial stone. "All the ninja that died in battle... and yet there is still room on this stone..." I sighed, looking at Hiate Geko's name, _so Hiate... the rumors were true._ I turned around and sat against the stone on the ground, leaning my head back. "How long do you think it'll take for them to show?"

"Depends on the person and who they're with."

"Great. We're going to be here a while, aren't we?"

"Yeah, you can count on it." He replied, shaking his head. I guess smiling would kill this guy. We waited and sure enough the first few to show up was a three person group. One had a bowl shaped hair-do that reminded me of the guy from early this morning when we met with the hokage, in fact, he's the spitting image. _Wow... If they were the same age, they could be twins... the only difference is their eyes... _I looked at the other two, there was a girl with a pink, sleeveless shirt and round buns on the sides of her head, the other was Neji.

"Oh great, the _genius_ is here." I muttered, and apparently he heard me because he glared at me, "glare all ya want. It isn't going to change what I said." I stood up and he was inches away from me,

"If you have a problem, you could always tell me what it is."

"Well, if the problem is you, I don't think you could do much to help me, hot shot." I stated, turning my body sideways and folding my arms. It was as if there were lightning bolts streaming between our glares.

"Alright, calm down you two, we're all going to be working together, so I suggest tolerating each other." Shikamaru stated with his this-is-such-a-drag voice. The girl with the brown buns walked over and put a hand on Neji's shoulder,

"Come on, Neji. Just relax, we have to wait on the others anyways." Neji was about to turn away and go sit with the girl, but I just couldn't help the next thing that slid out of my mouth,

"You must be part of the main branch, because you act all high and mighty like they do." His eyes narrowed, _whoops, must've pushed a very sensitive button there! Oh well, gatta deal with it now._ He got in my face and glared into my eyes, which reflected in his color absent ones,

"Never talk about my family that way." He demanded respect, but he hadn't earned mine yet,

"I'm sorry, you don't have my respect. Getting in my face like you are, isn't going to earn it." I leaned closer in, and a slight blush and surprised look consumed his face,

"Prove to me why people call you a genius."

"The power of youth! It is as beautiful as a freshly bloomed flower!" I backed away, putting my hands in my pockets as I looked at the kid in the green jumpsuit.

"You must be that one guy's pupil. You look exactly like him, stupid hair cut and all." I stated, sitting back down. The brown girl looked tired after my statement and put her hand to her forehead,

"Here we go," she muttered as the kid got a weird look in his eyes and clenched his fist in front of his face,

"How dare you insult Guy Sensei?! He is the greatest Sensei in the world! No one can defeat him!" _That's what his name was, Guy, and this must be Lee._

"I thought he and Kakashi has a long standing tie between them. One never can better the other."

"Guy sensei is in the lead!" He claimed as he started kicking the air. A few more kids started walking our direction, _I know this group._

"Hey, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, what's up?" I asked, standing and walking over to meet them. Akamaru barked happily, his tail wagging as he sat atop Kiba's head,

"Wait, is that my ribbon tied to his tail?" I asked Kiba, I gave him a look that said 'really?' Kiba just kinda laughed and rubbed the back of his head as Akamaru leapt from his head to mine, "Well, hello, there, Akamaru." I laughed, making the first group and Shikamaru look at me questioningly. They hadn't heard me laugh before, Shino and Hinata were also surprised to find out that I was human and had other emotions.

"Sorry, I didn't realize it was wrapped around him until I got home last night. I didn't know where you were staying so I just wrapped it around Akamaru's tail for safe keeping." Kiba explained, putting his hood down and looking at Shino and Hinata,

"Oh, guys this is Kasai. Kakashi treated us to dinner last night at Ichiraku, she was lost so I had to show her the way." Hinata bowed and gave a kind, shy smile.

"N-nice to meet you." I gave her the same smile she gave me and it seemed to bring her out of her shell more,

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Hinata. I've met your cousin already, and I've gata say," I leaned in, putting my hand to my mouth, "I like you better, you're much nicer." This seemed to embarrass her for she turned red like a tomato and shook her head,

"Oh, no. Neji is a nice person as well, he and my father train all the time together." She seemed to be getting a little light headed so I laughed and let it go, I looked over at Shino.

"Nice to meet you, Shino of the Aburame clan." I held out my hand and he gave me his, his bugs automatically crawling onto me, my eye twitched. It's not like I'm not used to bugs, it was just unexpected. "Um... Do your bugs usually crawl onto other people when you shake hands?" He looked down at our entwined hands questionably,

"Not usually. Only when I command them to attack someone or help out... This is unusual. They seemed to have taken a liking to you, and that's rare indeed." He seemed to send out a silent signal that called the bugs back to him as he took a step away from me. I had to turn my arm over multiple times to make sure none of them got in my shirt.

"One thousand one hundred and eighty seven." I heard someone counting and looked over to see Lee doing thumb push ups, _he's already to that number? When did he start? I looked at him, dumbfounded as Neji did somewhat of a chuckle._

"He started once the other three showed up, he was quick at first, but then began to slow down in the middle of the 500's." Neji's arms were crossed and he explained this as if he did this sort of thing all the time. Well, he is Guy's pupil... It really shouldn't surprise me.

"Looks like everyone is already here." A girl with blond hair and blue pupiless eyes appeared with Naruto and Sakura, Naruto nodded and Shikamaru sighed,

"Not everyone. Choji isn't here."

"But we told him to come meet everyone and he said he'd be on his way." Sakura explained and everyone but Lee sighed, who was still doing thumb push ups. I put a hand to my head in irritation as Naruto began to pace, Sakura looked at Naruto with irritation,

"Would ya quit pacing around like that? Calm down." Sakura told Naruto and I glared at her as Naruto and I spoke in unison,

"It's already past the time we were supposed to meet!" Sakura looked from Naruto and I and decided to take Naruto's anger rather than my irritation. Shino began to talk,

"Not quite, to be accurate it's still 20 seconds till." His quiet and raspy voice caused everyone to look at him as he said so, stupid bug boy. Everyone closed their eyes for a second to take a breath, Neji was leaned up against a tree trunk and I got a great idea.

"Hey, Naruto, watch this." I mumbled to Naruto, he stopped pacing and Sakura looked up to see what I meant, I sneaked up behind Neji, since he had his eyes closed. I hid in the tree and wrapped my legs around a branch and flung down into his face,

"Hi, Neji!" I yelled happily, watching as his eyes flew open, only to have his face turn completely red as he took a step back from surprise. He growled and folded his arms,

"What do you want?" He questioned, his expression going back to normal. I hung there for a second then smiled, my braid nearly touching the ground below me as it hung. "W-what are you smiling about?" He asked, taken aback by my reaction to his venom. I giggled lightly, jumping from the tree and landing squarely on my feet.

"Nothing," I told him, "You're just cute is all." I heard Tenten fall over as Neji jolted from surprise again, I winked at him and went back up to stand next to Shikamaru. Neji suddenly looked at the hill and sighed,

"Guess he made it." A big guy with a bag of chips came over the hill as we watched and I sighed, irritated.

"What's up? You guys waiting for anyone else?" He questioned, stuffing his mouth with more chips. (-_-)"

"Can you tell me why you're always the last to arrive?" The blond asked, obviously as irritated as the rest of us.

"That's who we were waiting on? What took the fat-" My mouth got covered by Shikamaru as the blond haired girl looked at me with fright before looking at the big guy, who's eyes had narrowed upon hearing my words,

"Careful. He's a little touchy about that." Shikamaru whispered in my ear then sighed, "What a drag..." He looked up at the other genin and began to talk, "I'm glad we're all here, we can finally get started." Shikamaru and I looked around at each of their confused faces and nodded at each other.

"As I'm sure you're all aware by now, the village has been placed under an S-level security emergency alert. You're probably wondering why." Shikamaru began, I stepped forward, pulling my mask down to my neck,

"Last nights smoke screen, right?" Kiba asked,

"Y-you guys knew that was a smoke screen?" The idiotic knuckle-headed ninja asked, I looked at Neji,

"Of course." The genius stated, Shino decided to chime in,

"My insects made quite a fuss over it." The fatso quit eating long enough to smile,

"Really? I didn't notice anythi-"

"Maybe you should stop eating and open your eyes!" The blondie yelled, getting worked up over nothing,

"Lee, do you have any idea what caused this?" Tenten asked, looking over at bushy brows. He nodded slightly,

"I knew it had something to do with Anbu Black Ops, so I did not get involved." He replied.

"It's good that you didn't, and you're right, the anbu were at the scene." I stated, looking each shinobi in the eyes as they all stood a little straighter realizing what kind of situation we were in.

"Just as I thought." Hinata mumbled, looking our way to listen in like she needs to.

"This is as much as we know..." Shikamaru started, then looked at me, "Since you're the higher up here, I think you should give the run down."

"Lazy." I scoffed as I stepped forward once again, "Okay, listen up! The Anbu have had a man under constant surveillance for the past two weeks. He had broken into the construction foreman's house. Once inside, he found the chest containing the blueprints for all the important structures in the village, and he stole them." I looked up to meet each one of their gazes as they all looked slightly surprised,

"Blueprints?" Tenten asked, confused, they probably all are.

"So what's the big deal? What can a guy do with a bunch of stolen blueprints?" Naruto asked,

"Tell me you aren't really that dense, Naruto." I commented, putting a hand to my head,

"What can he do with them? Gimme a break." Ino retorted, rolling her eyes at Naruto. Hinata quietly sighed Naruto's name in disappointment. Neji refolded his arms and closed his eyes as he explained,

"In the wrong hands, the blueprints for the fort around the village could prove disastrous."

"Huh, how?" Naruto continued to amaze us with his stupidity, Neji opened his eyes to look Naruto in the face as he continued,

"Once the enemy has a detailed analysis of the structure, it would be a simple matter for them to find the most efficient way to break into the village." Naruto gasped as Neji looked at all of us, piecing together something that is a big possibility,

"What if they have the blueprints to Lady Tsunade's Mansion? With that as their guide-"

"It would be child's play to devise an attack on Lady Tsunade's room." I agreed with him, finishing his sentence as I sighed, Neji looked slightly irritated for being interrupted. _Good. _I gave him a smile as he scoffed and looked at Kiba who had begun to talk,

"And if it would fall into the hands of an assassin..." He trailed off, but Naruto picked up on it,

"You're right. I never knew how dangerous this could be." His blue eyes looked down at the ground as he thought about all of this, the possibilities. _If they worry too much, we won't be able to get the job done efficiently._

"That smokescreen last night," Shikamaru decided to start talking again, "was something the suspect used to cover up his getaway."

"I see." Shino stated, shutting up again to listen, _jeez these Genin love to talk._

"Despite all the smoke, the Black Ops were able to corner him in the Eastern Forest." I continued, pulling my mask back up over my nose. "But before they could get him to say anything, _boom._ Anbu's searched the blast site, they concluded that he had not been in possession of any blue prints when the explosion occurred."

"We have to hope they're not already in the hands of the enemy." Shikamaru continued as I took my seat next to the Memorial Stone once more, "Or the Hidden Leaf Village could be history." We looked at everyone, their expressions seemed about right considering the situation, Choji had even stopped eating.

"You can see why Lady Tsunade ordered an S-level emergency security alert."

"So, what's our mission? What do we have to do?" Kiba asked, his hood back over his head and Akamaru in his jacket. Everyone looked at us for their orders, _hm, maybe they'll be good shinobi after all._

"Since he didn't have them when he died, our mission is to find out where the thief hid the blueprints and recover them." I stated, giving everyone the final ending of the rundown, "Any questions?"

"It's like finding a needle in a haystack." Neji commented,

"If we wanna find out where the thief hid something, we should start out by retracing his steps." Tenten thought aloud, offering her idea up.

"Thing is, this guy had a reputation for setting up some pretty nasty booby traps." Shikamaru stated, informing the others of Geno's reputation, but failing to tell them that he was in the Bingo Book- the book that holds the names of the most dangerous and highly ranked rogue ninjas and Shinobi in the world.

"And chances are we'll run into some of them while we're looking for the blueprints." I finished for Shikamaru, lifting my head up, my silver hair falling into my fire colored eyes.

"Seems probable." Shino remarked, making some of them nod in agreement. Their eyes seemed to harden, their home was in trouble and they wanted to begin,

"We understand. Just give us the order and we'll get started." Ino reported, hands on her hips as she looked at Shikamaru and I. Naruto stepped forward with a determined look in his eyes,

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Shikamaru lifted his hand up, holding some cards,

"You'll need some background information. We checked around some and found out that this guy snuck into the village a few months back posing as a carpenter." He informed them, throwing the cards at them like Kunai as they flew towards each of the Genin present. They each caught them effortlessly and Naruto gasped,

"Huh?!" Sakura gasped as well, her emerald eyes widening with fear as she looked at Naruto,

"Uh, wait! This guy is-!" Sakura sighed sadly, looking at Naruto with sad eyes to asses how he'd react. _Sounds like those two know them from their reactions_, I didn't react to them, my information I would share later, or maybe just keep it to myself. Everything will fall into place is my guess, that's how things usually work.

"The man's name was Geno." I informed them,

"No, no way." Naruto mumbled, his icy blue eyes depressed, _it's creepy when he's depressed... Makes me kinda sad just looking at him._ I looked at the others and stood up in front of Shikamaru,

"Let's go everyone. We've got work to do." I walked over to Naruto and grabbed his hand, "I'm assuming you knew him. We'll follow you since you know where he was most of the time." Naruto looked confused for a moment then nodded, a sad but determined expression replacing his depressed one. "Good. Now smile and be annoying before anyone else realizes that something's wrong with you." I told him as he took the lead and released my hand, he smiled and yelled,

"Alright! Let's do this!"


	5. Crisis! Hidden Leaf 12 Gather!

**A/N: Okay, earlier when I first started this chapter I was like "I have no idea what to say to my fans..." then I realized, I don't really know who my fans are :/ I like to know what the people reading this think. And not just "I like it keep updating", make it more in depth, if you think I need to fix something or you have a positive or negative opinion about something: GO FOR IT! I thrive off of criticism and I can't wait to see what you guys think of this :) Reviews help my creative juices flow faster! Onto the story! **

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Naruto walked in front of us, huffing as he went along, I guess it still seemed impossible to him that Geno was the one to cause all this trouble. I looked at Shikamaru and he met my gaze, shrugging he gave a sigh. I took that as a 'what a drag.'

"It's impossible!" _Here we go..._ "Old man Geno didn't have a mean bone in his body!" Naruto declared as he continued walking ahead of us, Sakura walked just ahead of us and just behind Naruto, where we could see her watching him worriedly. I sighed, giving the same notion as Shikamaru had earlier. Choji, Shino, and the one called Lee flanked Shikamaru and I while we walked behind Naruto. The others trailed behind us.

"He's just a sweet old man that loved the ramen at Ichiraku's!" Naruto continued, he looked down, his blue eyes seeming like the great seas that flow around our lands. "He's not the kind of person that would do that." He tried to reason with himself to not believe this news, "He wouldn't destroy the Hidden Leaf Village..." His voice began to trail and I started hating this kid more and more, except... I couldn't hate him. He annoyed the hell out of me, sure, but I felt for him. Being betrayed by someone you thought you could trust... not always something to accept right away. I guess Kakashi was right. Naruto does have that kind of special power. Damn it.

"Come on, Naruto, you thought he was a nice guy, but it was all an act. He wanted us to let our guard down so when he got here he played the part of a harmless old carpenter to avoid suspicion." Shikamaru explained calmly, but I could tell he was getting irritated and fed up with Naruto's behavior underneath.

"You can't love ramen that much and be bad!"

"What the hell kind of reasoning is that?!" I yelled, then I facepalmed as Choji joined in on the stupid,

"No. Bad guys like ramen. They love it." Choji seemed serious, dead serious, _they're not all this stupid are they?_ Shikamaru looked back at Choji as I rubbed my temples,

"Choji, maybe if you try and talk some sense into him, he'll listen." Shikamaru attempted to keep the situation under control and focused on the task at hand. Obviously Choji wasn't going for what we were.

"Though, I've gatta admit, I've never seen a bad person eating at Ichiraku's, ever." Choji stated, lifting a finger up to prove his point,

"Told ya!" Naruto agreed, smiling like he's won, Shikamaru and I grunted, rubbing our heads in annoyance.

"That's great. Thanks for helping me out, Choji!" Shikamaru sighed, closing his eyes to think as he rubbed his head. I groaned in annoyance and looked at Naruto,

"Naruto! Just accept the fact that it's happened, if you can't then you're only going to mess the mission up. This mission requires all of your focus and energy or else the Village will perish under what Geno might have accomplished so far. The longer we stay here arguing the more time Geno's plans can go through." I berated Naruto and Choji at the same time and they both shut up. Naruto still looked resilient but he was smart enough, for once, to be quiet.

"Show us the way to the Construction Foreman's house, Shikamaru."

* * *

By the time we got to the foreman's house, Naruto had quieted down and grumbled to himself frequently, Sakura shook her head and sighed. The others, thank Kami, were quiet as well. I looked at Shikamaru and he seemed just as thankful as I was for the peace and quiet, even in this time of emergency. We were greeted at the door by a tall middle-aged looking man who seemed overstressed. This was the Construction Foreman,

"Please, come in." He instructed us, and we each walked in, removing our shoes and followed him to his meeting room. He sat at the head of the group and we took turns sitting down on either side, across from each other. Naruto was smart enough not to sit next to me, for fear that I would glare at him and freeze him in his tracks. Kiba and Neji took a seat on either side of me and Shikamaru sat in the middle of us, the others quietly took their seats as well and we looked at the Foreman.

"Here's the list of all the blueprints that were stolen." The foreman began, sighing, "I can't tell you how ashamed I am for not guarding these plans properly." Shikamaru began to look through the list, flipping through pages, "I can't face Lady Tsunade ever again." The foreman stated, not meeting our gazes. I sighed as I looked at Shikamaru, he 'hmm-ed' after a few minutes then looked back up at the foreman.

"Which construction jobs was Geno involved with?" He tried to gather information as best as he could, but-

"None, he didn't work on any of those." He stated, giving us no useful information.

"But I thought- didn't you say Geno worked for you?" Sakura asked, terribly confused, as always. _Jeez, these people don't know how to gather information- I've got to remember, most of these are just genin, only one Chunin and that's because the Chunin exams were interrupted. Take a breath, Kasai, patience is key here. _I had to learn how to be patient again, it wasn't going well. But I had people around me that I was oddly at ease with, so it was getting easier.

"The structures on that list invoke the safety of the village. Outsiders aren't allowed to work on them," he shook his head as he looked up at us at last, "I always make sure outside contractors are only to work on residential construction." He explained.

"So, then... You don't think there's any chance he could've slipped in and set traps on these sites?" Shino asked, skipping right to what we needed to know, if he's set traps, then there's going to be issues. We'd have to be extra careful, and that'll take us longer than it should. I could use my shadow clones, but clones can only go so far away from the original.

"We have excellent security." The foreman responded with, Neji stood as Shikamaru continued to look at the list,

"Right, but we should check them just in case," I watched him as he walked over to Shikamaru and he snapped the booklets shut and handed them both to Neji,

"Here, Neji," Shikamaru turned and then looked at the rest of us. Neji looked at everyone and I was getting slightly annoyed at each of them taking charge like this, but slightly impressed at the same time. They each have great material to become great shinobi. _You did a great job, Third Hokage..._

"I think you're best qualified to handle this, Hinata." _Wait... Was Neji being nice to Hinata? When did this happen?_ I remember him loathing the main house while I was around. I guess the main house finally told him the truth. Hinata looked up, slightly startled then nodded,

"Of course," her soft voice responded as she stood and took a booklet. Lee stood up,

"I would like to volunteer."

"Me too." Tenten stated, standing as well. _Well no shit, we're all going to have to help. _Neji, Lee, Hinata, and Tenten left together to begin searching the buildings of the blueprints stolen for traps and such. Shikamaru looked back at us once more,

"I know I've mentioned this, but there's still a chance the enemy hasn't gotten the plans yet. He evaded the Anbu Black Ops for a while during his escape so he could've hidden them." Kiba and Shino stood,

"And you want us to think like thieves and figure out where, right?" Kiba asked, I looked up, _they don't know my abilities, they might just make me stay with the main group instead of branching off._ I've never felt so useless in my life, I sighed heavily and Kiba grinned down at me,

"You coming?" I sprang up,

"Only if you think you'll need my help." I grinned as Shino and Kiba got anger marks on their heads, I laughed as I turned to the foreman, "Thank you for your cooperation." He nodded as well,

"Just do whatever it takes to find out where those plans went."

"Leave it to us." Shino stated as we went outside and began to search around. We went on top of the roof to start, I made a few handsigns after biting my thumb and slammed my hand onto the rooftop.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Poof. A small wolf appeared at my side, growling, "Hey, Iku, we need to do some _hunting_." The wolf grinned with excitement, "Only, we don't get to go after anyone, we just have to locate a few things if we can." Iku wrinkled his nose, his luminous golden-green eyes looking up at me, then seeing Akamaru his tail began to wag.

"We're going on a treasure hunt, Akamaru, so do your stuff boy." Kiba commanded, putting Akamaru on the ground.

"Iku, you do the same. We're looking for the Foreman's blueprints if they're still here within the Village." Iku's black fur seemed to shimmer, a red diamond stayed in between his eyes as it was fur and he nodded. Both dogs barked as an okay and began to sniff, side by side,

"Go." Shino ordered his insects, they crawled out of his shirt and I couldn't help but to shudder. I followed behind my dog and Kiba looked at me,

"Since when were you a dog person?" I laughed at him,

"Since Akamaru decided to jump into my shirt." He seemed to turn red at that thought and he sweatdropped,

"Yeah, sorry again, about that." He apologized as the dogs seemed to sniff faster so we had to pick up our speed. I shook my head,

"I grew up with Iku, he wasn't originally a summoning wolf. He was my partner, like Akamaru is to you. But when things started going sour I told him to go back to his pack and I'd summon him when I needed him. He agreed because it was for both of our safety." Kiba listened intently to my story, taking everything I said to heart, _why is he listening so hard? He doesn't usually do that..._ I finished my explanation and looked ahead at our companions sniffing before us,

"Yeah, it'd be hard for me to part with Akamaru, so I can't imagine how it was for you and Iku." Kiba responded, Shino's bugs covered every inch of the buildings and other things as we continued in the area parallel to his. I sighed, looking up at the sky,

"I wonder what he did with those plans. What could he have planned..."

"Boy, you sure do think like a Jounin." I blinked, looking at Kiba, who seemed to be focused on Akamaru now,

"Hm? I was raised by many different people. Granted I spent most of my time here with the Anbus, but who raises you makes a big imprint on who you become and how you think."

"I was thinking that you were just a girl who liked ramen and dogs." Kiba gave me a smile and I giggled at his statement, he was trying to make me smile and he accomplished it. "Good, you look better with a smile." He muttured, and I gave him a surprised look, but he had adjusted his gaze back to the dog and wolf in front of us. _These Genin... These kids... they never cease to amaze me..._ I smiled and shook my head,

"I hope you aren't just a regular teenage boy, or we're going to have some issues." I gave him a side-glance and smirked at him as he looked at me with a red face and I leapt ahead.

"Hey! Waddya mean by 'just a regular teenage boy'? What's that supposed ta mean?" He yelled, catching up, I just laughed at him, I guess you can have fun when on a mission. We continued on going around the village, Akamaru marking the places we've already checked so we don't double back somehow, and Iku using his claws to mark posts. Iku thinks marking territory excessively is strange. I told him he was being an old fart and laughed at his expression, he's like a mini human. In wolf form of course.

"How do you think the others are doing?" I asked, I didn't know much about these Shinobi, and I didn't plan on staying any longer than the time this mission took. Kiba looked at me, slightly surprised, he can't read minds, can he?

"I bet the others are doing about the same as us, hopefully they have better luck though. I don't know how long it'll take for whoever Geno was working for to continue the plan, or if he's already got the plans. I just hope we can stop it before it gets rough." Kiba's expression became serious, and I didn't like the grim look on his face, I'd seen this village in shambles already. So have the others, that's why there's still construction going on. That's why I have complete faith in them, just like Tsunade.

"Then we better keep searching." I replied, I grew determined to save the home I had once lived in. Although I couldn't stay long, I always wanted to come back and stay here. I knew it wasn't going to happen because of who I was, and who would come after me. I couldn't endanger anyone. Especially not my new friends. Or my old ones. Kiba nodded in agreement and we began to use our own noses, along with our companions to search for an unknown and recent scent. It seemed eerie, the streets empty like this. It could have been said that other than the ninjas searching and the people working on the buildings, it could be considered a ghost town. Like some of the villages near the Sound Village borders. Even some within.

We have to find whatever Geno was planning, or the Leaf Village and all the people in it, are history.

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**A/N: I know this chapter was short, sorry TT_TT I wanted to continue but I felt the need to cut off here before it got twice as long.  
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**I know I keep asking this, but look at my poll on my page and review!**

**Until next time!**

**-Kasai**


	6. The Anbu Gives Up? Naruto's Recollection

I was still searching around with Iku when an Anbu appeared before Kiba and I.

"Huh? What's an Anbu doing here?" Kiba questioned, looking at me with confusion. I stood straighter as I looked at the brown haired Anbu with a cat mask on. He kneeled before me, his head bowed down as he spoke,

"We're questioning a child that has spent the past few weeks with our target, Geno. We need you to be there so he stops his fighting. He's being unusually difficult." I sighed as I looked at Kiba,

"Don't worry, I'll be right back." I smiled at Kiba and I could notice Tenzo looking at me strange. "Tenzo, let's go." I stated, my expression going neutral as I looked at the Anbu and nodded. He stood and we both made the same hand sign,

"Iku, stay with Kiba for the time being." Iku nodded in response and sat over by Akamaru as the anbu and I teleported just outside of a dark room. Removing my Jounin green jacket and replacing my face with a mask, I also removed the long sleeved net shirt I had on and stuck to my underarmor that clung to my body. It was navy blue and sleeveless, exactly like Kakashi's. I slid on my gloves and removed my headband so it wouldn't knock against my mask, I put my headband in my pouch and then I knocked three times, slowly,

"Enter."

We walked in and I looked at Naruto, who had been sitting in a chair with his arms folded with only a single candle for light.

"Listen, I already told you everything I know about the guy. Hm?" He looked up at me as Tenzo and I entered, I looked at the others who were wearing cloaks.

"So you first met Geno at the ramen shop." Hikori stated, the one with the bird mask on, I nodded as I looked at Naruto. I hadn't been here as long as Geno has because of certain circumstances keeping me from the Leaf, but I knew just about everyone in the Leaf village. Except for the younger generation now.

"What all does he remember?" I asked in my monotone voice, mimicking that of what an anbu's voice should sound like, no emotion. Hikori looked at me and nodded and explained it to me, there wasn't much that he remembered. I sighed, this was going to be a lot of work for all of us. "You know what to do." I told him, Naruto and Kishu had continued their discussion whilst I had my own. Hikori nodded and walked back to the group,

"You expect me to remember everything?" Naruto questioned,

"That's what we're here for, yes." The three of them stood in a line before him and I stood behind Naruto, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto, you're going to have to concentrate. Stop arguing and just focus." I told him, he seemed surprised that someone had snuck up on him and that there were female Anbu.

"Alright." He sighed, looking back at the three in front of him,

"If we analyze the conversations you had, we might be able to determine who Geno was working for." Kishu, the one in the mask with no nose and half of it green told him. I returned to the mass of Anbu and adjusted my gloves and its armor, rubbing my bare arms and the tattoo that all anbus are bound to have. Naruto looked up at the anbu confronting him,

"We are familiar with your conversations over the last two weeks. Now we want to know what was said before that." The candle flickered because of an unknown source as we watched Naruto, who continued to argue with us.

"You can ask me all you want, I'm telling ya I don't remember." He complained, keeping his eyes downcast and his arms folded. _He's like an annoying little brother._ I sighed and whispered in Kishu's ear,

"I told Hikori to use the remembrance Jutsu that we developed a few years back." I told him, he nodded and looked at Hikori once more. The two on either side of him nodded and then he looked at me, I nodded as well. "Do it."

"What? What're you-"

"We'll have to put you under regressive hypnosis." He stated, stepping towards Naruto, who seemed to have a mini heart attack at this announcement.

"Huh? Regressive hypnosis?"'

"Using hypnosis we can recover lost memories from your subconscious." Datsu explained, he was wearing a mask with a slight nose molded into it and a shape going from the bottom of the forehead to the chin and back. Slight swirls were on either side of the mask,

"No way." Naruto replied, amazed and for some reason, worried. _What if he does know something and refuses to give it up? Whatever the case, this jutsu will tell us._

"Just relax." I cooed in a soothing tone, he seemed to agree with us and relaxed his body as Datsu did a few hand signs before saying:

"Back to the past Jutsu." He held his hands in front of him as chakra came from his fingers in a sort of wave motion, the starting point was his fingertips and the ending point, Naruto's forehead. His body seemed to grow heavy and his eyelids flickered as his eyes grew dim. His arms eventually fell to his sides and that's when we knew the jutsu was taking effect.

"Let's begin." I ordered, stepping forward, I figured he'd respond to my voice better than theirs. I looked at Naruto and hated myself, I was starting to feel more and more around these stupid genin, and I was beginning to regret my decision in coming to the leaf. _Man this is so troublesome... Great, I'm starting to sound like Shikamaru._ "Let yourself travel back through the pathways of your memory. One day ago," a slight pause, "two days ago," another pause, "three days ago," another, "further into the past." We wanted this to sink in and give him time to travel through his memories as I continued in a soft tone, "and finally. The day you met the old man." I stated, waiting to see if his body would react in any sort of way to my voice. _I guess he hasn't recognized me yet. Good. _

"Where are you?" I asked, softly and quietly, but I knew he could hear me for there were no other sounds in this room. He took a breath before speaking,

"I'm in... the woods." He said with some difficulty, "I was out there training on my own. Then it was lunch time, so I headed for Ichiraku." I closed my eyes and imagined what Naruto would be remembering, I knew the layout of the village well. "That's when I saw him." I imagined Naruto slowing from a run to a stop, looking at the old man.

"So you didn't meet in the restaurant, but just outside." One of them concluded, I folded my arms as we listened again, Naruto nodded a few times.

"Hey, whatchya doin'?" Naruto had started to give us the dialog of their conversations,

"Huh, oh, me?" He replied in a deeper tone, we guessed it was Geno's voice he was mimicking. "I was just trying to decide if I should go inside this restaurant, is it any good?" Geno had asked the boy,

"You're not from around here, are ya old timer." Naruto had responded, I rolled my eyes at the boy, but he continued with the dialog.

"Guah... well no, I am a freelance carpenter. How could you tell, young man?" Geno had probably been slightly amazed, or just played along with the boy.

"Cuz everyone in the Leaf knows that Ichiraku's Ramen is the bestest in the whole universe!" Naruto exclaimed, a goofy grin splaying across his face. _That's just like him... Jiriyah. Both of them can be such children._

"Well, that's quite a review." Geno was obviously playing along with the boy and had sat down inside with Naruto to eat some ramen, when they were finally served ramen in his memory, we could tell. Naruto began slurping and his mouth started to water uncontrollably, I sighed again.

"You're right, this ramen is quite delicious."

"Isn't it?"

By this point in time, I would assume that Naruto is already done with his bowl from the way Kiba was surprised about how fast I ate my ramen. He said I could be faster than Naruto, so he was fast at eating ramen. He gulped and then sighed with satisfaction,

"Ah~, thanks for the grub!" He thanked an invisible person, one only he could see and I imagined the elderly man in the Ramen shop on the receiving end of the thanks.

"You finished your bowl already?" Geno had apparently said, I could imagine the old man smiling. I put my hand on the back of Naruto's head and focused my chakra as I suddenly saw what Naruto was remembering. It was fuzzy but Naruto and Geno were sitting at Ichiraku's enjoying their meals, Naruto was smiling and the old man was doing the same. Geno continued to eat a little more,

_"Well, I am a growing boy, ya know. Even an extra large can't fill me up." Naruto bragged, Geno stopped eating and turned to Naruto with a smile, _

_"I see, well maybe I'll share the rest of mine with you."_ _Naruto looked at the old man with wide eyes,_

_"What? You sure?" Naruto asked, the old man slid his meal over to Naruto, barely had eaten any himself, he wanted Naruto to have it._

_"All yours." He stated with a big grin, Naruto celebrated,_

_"It's my lucky day!" He slid his own bowl away and began to chow down on Geno's bowl. "Old man, thanks a ton!" Geno just smiled and nodded his head, "Oh, man, this is good!" Naruto kept stuffing his face, I continued to look at Geno. He seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. Strange._

I was thrown out as he stopped remembering and I looked out at the others,

"That's it... Then after we finished our ramen we said our goodbyes." Naruto said, still eyes closed and breathing slowly, I stayed where I was at and looked at Datsu to keep questioning him. After all, we hadn't gotten what we were looking for.

"When did you meet him next?" Datsu questioned, the masks on their faces casting strange shadows across their bodies,

"In front of Ichiraku again." Naruto stated and proceeded to tell us about how the exact same happened as when he first met the man. I sighed, _we aren't getting anywhere. All we're learning here is that Geno treated him like a grandchild, giving him his ramen and paying the tab._ I watched memory after memory for a while, seeing everything Naruto saw, and things he didn't. _I wonder how the others are doing in their search, have they found anything more useful than a few ramen memories? _I sighed, and was about to give up, when-

_"Hey, old man, why are you being so nice to me?" Naruto asked in one of his memories, the old man seemed slightly surprised at the question, but Naruto had pure curiosity in his eyes. I guess not a lot of people did things being nice._

_"Oh, well, I have a grandson." He stated, pulling out a battered old looking photo of a kid around Naruto's age, looking slightly like Naruto in some aspects._ _"Ya see, he's about the same age as you are. So, in a way, you're not really a stranger to me." Naruto stared at the photo intently, "Someday, after I retire, my grandson and I are going to go off and live the life of treasure hunters." Geno proudly announced, Naruto looked at him with a slightly surprised expression.  
_

_"Are you serious?" Naruto questioned the mans dream of spending that time with his grandson. Geno nodded, his smile never ceasing, _

_"Yes." He replied, putting the card safely back in his pocket, he noticed Naruto's empty bowl, "Oh my word, you've finished your bowl that fast?" The old man was surprised, once more,_

_"Yep," Naruto laughed, I couldn't help but smile to myself,_

_"Then I suppose you'll just have to finish mine!" Geno announced, grabbing his bowl and once again sliding it over." Naruto picked up his chopsticks once more and smiled,_

_"Thanks, old man, you're the greatest!" The bowl was slid over, but instead of chowing down, Naruto noticed a scar on the man's right hand. "Huh? What happened.. To your hand?" The old man looked at him confused for a moment then he looked down at his hand,_

_"Hm? Oh, I got this scar when I cut myself with a saw," Geno told him, Naruto's face lit up with surprise and worry,_

_"Oh~." _

I was shoved back out as that memory ended,

"...and then after that, the old guy gave me more of his yummy ramen." I shook my head at Naruto and looked at the other three. Tenzo had left some time ago and the Anbu in the middle was holding his chin, or, rather his masks chin in thought.

"But, Geno has no relatives." He concluded, thinking aloud to the others and I,

"So the story about his grandson was a lie?"

"I don't think it is. The photo looked old, like he'd been carrying it around for quite some time. So maybe he intended to do it at one point before he planned to do this. His relatives died, if I recall correctly." I reminded them of all the details that had been told, and some that only Naruto and I had seen.

"We started tailing him the day after that." One stated, agreeing with my own statement. The three nodded in sync at my statement and looked at each other once more,

"Looks like we're not going to get anymore information out of the boy."

"I doubt Geno would've been careless enough to divulge anything important, even to a Genin." We sat there for a moment in silence as an Anbu leapt into our hole,

"An emergency communicate from Lady Tsunade." He announced, his brown hair flailing above his crow's mask. We all turned towards him and away from Naruto,

"Hm?" I inquired, looking down at him since he was kneeling, he looked up at us as well. "Time to go. I'll take the boy back. You go on ahead." I nodded to the other three standing there and they seemed all to happy to oblige. I looked at Naruto as the others disappeared and sighed,

"Oh, Naruto. From the stories I've heard, you get yourself into things like this all the time." I picked him up and put him over my shoulder and leapt out of the hole. I left Naruto outside Ichiraku's as he woke up, "Take care, Naruto." Poof. I appeared outside the Hokage's Office as Lady Tsunade was giving a rundown to Shikamaru, _knock knock._

"Come in." Tsunade's voice came from the inside, I slowly opened the door and walked in,

"Milady."

"Ah, I need to give you the same rundown as I'm giving Shikamaru, here. Since you missed the original with the others." Tsunade commented on my being late,

"Well, you know how one can get lost on the path of life."

"Save it Kaka- Why you little." She sighed, Kakashi pulled the same thing with everyone when he was late. So it was a little funny that I got her irritated just for mixing names. "Anyways, it's the Village Hidden in the Waterfalls." I nodded, Shikamaru looked confused as hell as to who I was and why she would debrief us both in the same room. "They've moved all their ninja to battle ready position. Apparently, their claiming it's just a normal training exercise."

"Training exercise, huh?" Shikamaru responded, I stayed quiet in his presence, Shikamaru was smart, too smart. The obvious reason to why Anbu Black Ops wear masks is to keep their identity safe, unknown, Shikamaru would figure it out in no time flat. Especially since I just saw him a few hours ago.

"Need I say more? They've used this tactic before," she informed us, keeping her hands folded in front of her face and her fiery copper eyes. "Assemble all their forces under the guise of a big practice run, and end up invading another land."

"..And there's more to it than that," Shizune cut in, making Tsunade glare at her for a second, "Apparently, just before he arrived here, Geno briefly stayed in the Hidden Waterfall Village. It wouldn't be surprising to find out there is some sort of connection." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head with a dumb look on his face, sighing. I closed my eyes to keep from calling him a moron.

"We've already mobilized most of our ninja, they're on their way to the waterfall village now. If they see anyone crossing the border, I told them to treat it as a full scale enemy invasion." Shikamaru exclaimed with surprise at that one, looking up at the Hokage, I was asked to stay here and help Shikamaru, not go with them. It annoyed the hell out of me. "Shikamaru, take your group and head over to the boarder to assist." She looked at me while saying this as well, telling me with her eyes to get going with their group. I sighed and nodded, but Shikamaru had a different opinion.

"Well, if you really want my honest opinion there's no reason for us to go," he began, I already knew what he was getting at as I stood, finally.

"But, but, Shikamaru!" Shizune gasped, looking at him with complete and utter confusion.

"What are you getting at?" Tsunade responded with, I half expected a burst of anger from her. Her irritation was growing though, "Please, explain yourself, Shikamaru." _Yeah, dude, explain why you're deciding to argue with the Hokage, one that could kill you with a single blow._ I wasn't afraid of Tsunade, I was afraid of not being able to move after she was done with me.

"Sending in ten Genin, one Chunin, and a Jounin?" He put his arm behind his head, "It's not gonna make too much difference in the scheme of things."

"And what is your point?"

"Something's not quite right." He responded, which made Tsunade gasp, it made me curious. Something wasn't right, we couldn't find a single thing wrong with the village, although there's supposed to be a huge emergency. "We're missing something about this guy, Geno... and I think I've figured out what it is." _I guess he's the genius, not Neji._ He put his hand back down to his side and in his pocket, "All we've learned about his life is that he was remarkably unremarkable. He was an average carpenter, did his work, never stood out, never made any big mistakes. He didn't have any friends, didn't have any enemies either. If he disappeared one day, nobody would miss him, they wouldn't think twice about him, he was the kinda person who could just fade away. His undercover technique was so good it ought to be in the Shinobi text books. Which is why it's odd that a brilliant shinobi like that would let himself get pegged by the Anbu's so easily." _Was that an insult? _"Doesn't it seem a little strange to you?" Tsunade nodded,

"Yes that's true."

"And then, when he was trying to escape... He had no problem evading the black ops before, but this time they caught him. For a trap expert, it was a pretty pathetic way to go. Not to mention the fact that he just gave up all those blueprints. It doesn't make any sense, unless..." He paused,

"Well?" Tsunade was losing her patience,

"Unless everything that's happened was part of the plan from the beginning." Shikamaru stated, I had reached the same conclusion just moments ago while he was explaining everything. Tsunade and Shizune gasped,

"Could it be?" Shizune questioned, surprised.

"His true identity being revealed, dying in front of the anbu guys, what if it was all part of an elaborate plot? What if he knew we'd be worried about the hidden Waterfall village? That we'd send everyone away to face that threat?" Tsunade swirled around in her chair to face the giant windows that were in the office behind her. "Leaving our village, defenseless like that? We might just be dancing in the palm of his hand." Tsunade began tapping her finger on her desk,

"Interesting theory, but all the hard evidence suggests that we need to protect ourselves from this invasion." She gave him a sidelong glance,

"That's true, but still."

"I hear you. Sending in a bunch of light weights like ten Genin and one Chunin." _Just toss me aside why don't you TT_TT ugh. _"It wouldn't really change the outcome of the battle, now would it?" Her eyes reopened to look at Shikamaru and I, "Alright, Shikamaru, I'll help your group continue the investigation of the Geno incident." Shikamaru nodded,

"Understood." He left out the door and it left me here with Tsunade, I removed my mask,

"Well, that was a big waste of time, wasn't it?" I looked up at her and she was smiling,

"All those kids, they're always so bothersome." She looked like she wanted to laugh about it if the situation here wouldn't had been so serious,

"Well, shall I stay as well? Or will you send me to the border as well, Milady?" She seemed to think about it for a second, then chuckled to herself,

"Did you get anything from Naruto?" I shook my head,

"Nothing. The only time he would see him was at Ichiraku's. Even then the conversations weren't that informal." I reported, standing at ease in this office. She nodded and folded her hands in front of her face once more,

"You'll stay here, but as Kasai, not as an Anbu. We don't need you as an Anbu currently. So take off the mask and put the other clothes back on." I nodded,

"Of course, Milady. I'll be heading out then." I bowed to her before I walked out. I quickly got changed, pulling the long sleeved net shirt on after removing the gloves and their armor, then I slid on the green jacket that signified a Chunin and Jonin. I removed the mask and put it all in the pack that I carry around with me, then I proceeded to run out of the Hokage's mansion and outside. "I have to find Kiba and Iku now." I jumped to the top of the building and looked at all the rooftops. "How hard can this be?" I sighed, then I put my fingers to my lips and whistled, loudly. I listened for a few seconds afterwards and heard a loud bark coming from a certain direction, "So they've made some progress while I was gone. Alright, here I come." I bounded from rooftop to rooftop listening to the rhythmic barking that was coming from Iku.

"Hey, guys." I welcomed, appearing out of nowhere to them, looking like an exact copy of the copy ninja himself. "What's up? Have you gotten anything?" I asked, greeting Iku with a hug. He's not small like Akamaru, he's a little bigger than him. Kiba and Shino looked at me,

"Where the hell did you go all day?" Kiba asked, probably a little pissed off that I just up and left him, I walked up to him,

"Aw~, is the little puppy mad at me for staying away for so long?" I asked in a baby talk tone, ruffling his hair. Kiba turned slightly red and knocked my hand away,

"Knock it off, will ya? I was just concerned is all."

"Indeed. An anbu appearing out of nowhere and asking for your help? Seems a bit ominous to me." Shino stated, watching as his bugs continued doing what they were doing earlier.

"Everything sounds ominous coming out of your mouth." I replied, walking back over to Iku's side. "Have you heard from the others? Is there anything new to report?"

"We're supposed to meet Lee and Neji over at the explosion site. We were on our way there when your dog started barking." Iku growled at Kiba,

"He's a wolf, Kiba. Come on." I giggled and started jumping with my wolf towards the meeting place, "You guys coming or what?" Shino's bugs returned to him and Kiba seemed irritated that I was leaving him behind again. I laughed as I raced Iku and Kiba to the meeting place. "Look who it is. Mini Gui and the smartass- whoops, I mean Genius." I greeted Lee and Neji, Neji sighed,

"Great, you're here. Why are you always popping up?" Neji asked, annoyed at my presence, and probably the fact that I challenged him all the time. I walked over to him and threw an arm around his shoulders,

"Oh, come on. You know you love seeing me." I teased, watching his face grow just a hint of red, I smirked and walked back over to Iku and Kiba, Akamaru riding shotgun in Kiba's shirt, then Shino appeared. "Gonna take a look around, Neji?" He growled as he activated his Byakugan.

"This is the spot where the explosion occured." Lee announced, _no shit. Where do these genin come from?_ I sighed as I watched Neji take a look around,

"Looks like somebody already collected the physical evidence."

"Yeah, anbu leave nothing behind." Shino stated, Tenten was looking around at the trees with Akamaru smelling around. Iku refused to be used for work at the moment so I just sat on his back.

"Everyone, look!" Tenten called out to us, I would've had a heart attack if she would've sounded more worried than alarmed. Maybe I should've been worried anyways... Eh.

"What is it, Tenten?" I asked, having Iku walk over there, he dumped me off when he sat down so I stood and rubbed his ear.

"Check out this tree, it's burned on both sides." She announced, Kiba stepped forward, he had replaced his hood atop his head.

"With all the paper bombs that went off, of course it got burned." Kiba observed the tree, putting a hand on its bark.

"Yeah, but why's it charred on both sides?"

"She's right," Neji stated, observing with his Byakugan, "If the blast came from one direction, there wouldn't be marks on the back of it." Tenten nodded, glad that her teammate would vouch for her,

"To leave these kinds of burns, the explosions would've had to come from multiple sources."

"But the anbu saw it happen, they even reported that the paper bombs were wrapped around the mans body when they went off." Lee countered,

"Don't be so sure about that." Shino responded, his hands in his pockets, "After all, the anbu had to take cover to shield themselves from the blast. I doubt any of them witnessed the actual explosion." Everyone looked at Shino as he spoke, that's true, they did have to take cover. The rest of them gasped and ran to different trees,

"Of course they're all going to be the same," I grumbled under my breath, Iku looked up at me,

_"why are you hanging around these morons?"_ Iku asked me, in barks and in part of the communication link we have together. I sighed and watched as they each checked different trees,

"Hey, this one's got burns on both sides too." Akamaru barked to confirm the same with his tree, Kiba ran over to him and checked that one,

"Same pattern on this tree." He reported,

"Wait a sec, what if a ring of bombs on the surrounding trees were set off first? Then the huge explosion in the center?" Tenten pieced together what had actually happened,

"If he timed the explosions close enough together, it'd seem like one big explosion." I stated, she glared at me, deflated, and partly irritated that I took the words out of her mouth, "That leaves the question as to why he would want those to go off first."

"This is a good point." Lee agreed,

"But in order to do that, he would've needed time to set it up, before made it here, Geno was being chased by the anbu. They had him cornered right when the bombs went off." Neji explained,

"But was he being chased, or was he leading them here?" I asked them, Shino turned towards me, _whoops, did it again didn't I?_ All the others gasped and looked at me, realizing what this could mean.

"So all along he wasn't trying to get away from them, he was drawing them to this spot?" Shino looked at me before he nodded and began to talk, he wanted to make sure I wouldn't steal his thunder again.

"Hm, it's possible." Lee put a hand to his chin,

"If that is true, then it is safe to assume there were other elements to his plan."

"Can we be sure those paper bombs really took him out?" Neji asked aloud, making the others gasp.


	7. The Missed Target

**A/N: Well, sorry for the cliffhanger there, but what had to be done, was done. *Silence* but anyways, here's the next chapter! Thanks to those who are still following this story! :) Means a great deal to know that people are reading my stories :)**

**ONWARD!**

* * *

"Can we be sure those paper bombs really took him out?" Neji asked aloud, making the others gasp. I grinned,

"About time. If the paper bombs didn't take him out, look in different areas for something that looks like an escape route. He could've jumped away just before the explosion but then the Anbu would've seen him escaping, unless he was in the opposite direction of the Anbus." Neji looked at me and nodded, "Neji, keep using your Byakugan, Akamaru and Kiba use your noses, see if you can pick up any odd scents other than charred tree trunks and dirt. Shino, see if your bugs can locate anything out of the ordinary within a two mile radius." They all watched as my serious side had come out and nodded as each one was called, Lee and Tenten stepped forward,

"What do you want us to do, Kasai Sensei?" Tenten asked, I wasn't used to being called Sensei, but I was a Jounin after all. I thought for a moment,

"Move around the trees and other debre to see if there's anything left at all." They nodded and went off to do their work, the others did the same and Neji came over to me,

"So you are actually a Jounin." He confirmed for himself finally, "I didn't think so with the way you would tease everyone." I didn't look at him, but I smiled,

"Neji, the cute little genius. I guess you don't like being teased, huh? Kakashi will tease sometimes, along with Asuma. But Jiriyah and Tsunade did it the most to me while I was growing up. But yes, there are times where I act my rank and not my age. If I planned on sticking around longer than this mission, you'd see that for yourself." I mumbled the last bit, hoping he wouldn't hear it, but the genius son of a bitch did. He seemed slightly surprised that I had slipped this information, and slightly... sad? Was that sadness? We were together for a few days when I was attacked by Naruto, I thought he hated me. He looked away and activated his Byakugan once more and looked around, trying to find any trace of Geno's remains or escape. Surprise overcame his face,

"Tenten, Lee, try over there. Go look under that fallen tree." He pointed to just in front of us at a fallen tree, Tenten and Lee nodded, jumping over to the tree he was pointing at. Lee easily picked the tree trunk up and tossed it away, just as he did so, I noticed a hole dug in the ground,

"Is that...?" I asked, walking over to it and bending down to look inside, "It is!"

"So that's it, Old man Geno had an escape tunnel waiting here for him the entire time." Kiba stated, Shino nodded,

"He disguised it well, we might never have found it if not for Neji's Byakugan.

"Geno designed the tunnel so it would slowly collapse from the weight of the dirt. Following him is out of the question, we have no idea how long the tunnel goes, nor how long it'll stay." I sighed, standing once more as Tenten bent down to observe it next.

"In another day or so, we would've never been able to find it, even with the Byakugan." She turned back to look at us, "There wouldn't have been a trace of it. He went to a lot of trouble to cover his tracks." Kiba and Akamaru stepped forward, Kiba kneeling by the tunnel and Akamaru at the mouth of it,

"Alright boy, see if you can pick up his trail." Akamaru nodded and walked further inside of the tunnel, sniffing. He whined after a minute and looked up at Kiba, "look at that, the wily old man even covered up his scent." Lee looked up into the sky, everyone obviously irritated that they had run into another dead end.

"Where could Geno be now, I wonder." I looked at Iku and wrote a message down,

"To Lady Hokage. Fast." I ordered, putting it in her jaws, the letter was in a wooden container. Iku nodded and dashed away, moving at a blinding speed. I sighed as I looked at the others, "We should probably report back to Shikamaru with this news as well." I rubbed the back of my head and groaned, "This is such a drag~." The others looked at me, and Tenten seemed amused, as well as Kiba and Lee. "Hm? What?"

"You sounded just like Shikamaru. Have you two been hanging around lately?" Tenten inquired, her hidden meaning was supposed to insinuate that we were dating secretely or something. I folded my arms and scoffed,

"Please. Shikamaru is a lazy nuisance. He thinks women are all the same, irritates the living hell outta me." I looked away from them, trying not to puff my cheeks out in irritation and Kiba snickered at me.

"Well, he isn't far off the mark. Ino and Sakura seem to beat anyone up that says something they don't like. Tenten is the only girl around here with any sense, aside from you now." Kiba explained, getting a sigh of irritation out of me. _Why can't I hate these ninja?_ Turning back to them, I stated,

"In any case, we should still go back and report to Shikamaru, that way he has all the information from all the groups." Iku appeared, "Ah, Iku." I kneeled down and took the wooden message carrier out of his mouth and read the message. "Okay, Shikamaru wants Kiba and Neji to go to the Academy, along with Hinata and Sakura to search for anything suspicious." I turned and looked at the others, "Now?" I urged them, they seemed to jolt out of it and nodded as they all left. I sighed putting a hand to my head, "Jeez." I looked at Iku and nodded, "We better go help out the others in evacuating the Academy."

"Right." Iku agreed with a nod of his head, it was a short bark, but I could understand it. We leapt from our places on the soft earth and hopped from branch to branch until we reached the border, to which we just jumped over,

"Hey guys." I smiled as they watched me fall to the otherside, they were kinda amazed that I just hopped over. Iku and I darted from rooftop to rooftop until we reached the Academy. People were walking about more freely and doing their daily routines, _does this mean the land hidden in the waterfall was nothing to worry about? Great, now we're vulnerable..._ When we made it to the academy, Iku and I walked in, and the first thing we heard was Naruto yelling at the kids,

"So, now do you understand? That's why you gatta clear out! Everybody go outside on the double!" I peeked into the classroom to find a bunch of kids sitting there and one with an arrogant expression on his face argued with Naruto,

"But that isn't what our teacher told us. He said we were supposed to study in the classroom all day today."

"That's right! We're not supposed to leave the room no matter what!" Another countered, making Naruto get angry.

"Look, it's just for a little while, your teachers will never know." I shook my head and walked in,

"Not everyone wants to skip out on class like you did, Naruto." I slowly walked in and noticed immediately that the class had quieted down, acknowledging my presence and rank. Naruto looked confused as he looked from me to the kids,

"Huh? What the?"

"Kasai Sensei, welcome back!" One with big brown dreadlocks just above her shoulders yelled, the others mimicked her in welcoming me back. _So I was here a few years ago... Huh.. Guess that's a memory I should get back sometime soon._ I smiled at the children and stood at the desk, shoving Naruto and Choji outta the way.

"Listen, children." They all straightened in their chairs, "We need to evacuate the building, your teachers will understand. Go home, or go train. But you cannot stay in the building. Understood?" I looked up at them with serious eyes, the ones that commanded them to obey me. They all nodded,

"Yes Kasai Sensei!" They gathered their things, continuing with their conversations and laughter as they exited the room.

"Why was that so hard for you?" I looked at Naruto, who seemed deflated. He grumbled to me as Choji seemed to ignore the whole thing, eating his bag of chips.

"Well, onto the next classroom!" Choji announced, blowing up and popping his bag, then tossing it into the trash as we walked out and I did the same in every room. On the last one, Lee walked in and I sent Naruto and Choji out to talk to him,

"Hello, children." I grinned, greeting them,

"Hello, Kasai Sensei!" They all smiled at me as well,

"I need you to evacuate from the building for now. You can resume your classes tomorrow, since all the teachers for today were sent on a mission, you're dismissed. Understood?" They all nodded and responded like the other classes,

"Yes, Kasai Sensei!" They gathered up their things and ran out as well.

"Well, that was easy." I mummured, walking out and nearly bumping into Naruto, O_O'' "Naruto, why don't you move out of the doorway, huh?" Naruto seemed to realize that someone was behind him and blinked,

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Bushy brows was just mentioning to us how weird it was that the kids from the first class were going to Kunai train over in the practice hall."

"I agree, that does sound strange." I looked at the three of them and we nodded in sync. The four of us headed down to the Practice Hall and stayed on the upper level, the children were teasing each other as they traded off turns to throw Kunai.

"Look at 'em, they're really training," Naruto stated, amazed while he leaned over on the railing. "Remember when we were at the Academy? We used to skip class and hang out here all the time. It was the last place the teachers ever thought of lookin' for us." _He said 'we' didn't he? Who else skipped class? -_-'' Jeez..._ I watched Naruto as he reminisced, he chuckled, "It was great. I used to read manga here or take a nap,"

"A nice quiet place to eat a snack." _Does he only think about food? _I sweat dropped, listening to these two,

"Well, I'm glad they're training." Lee and I replied in sync, which made us look at each other. "Uh..." We both blinked, then refocused on the other two,

"I would not boast about that. You could learn something from them." I nodded in agreement with what Lee was saying as the other two looked at him confused, _morons._ "Look at them! Training hard, even when the teacher is not looking."

"Yeah, I didn't graduate way ahead of my years just by skipping class all the time, ya know." I stated, looking at the other two, who seemed to be ashamed of ever admitting that they skipped now.

"The picture of the ideal student!"

"Oh, you're still talking..." Looking at Lee, I saw him clench his fist as he cried out,

"Such triumph in dedication! It is inspiring to watch!" Lee's eyes began to water, I think with tears of joy, "I only wish I could go through training all over again with them!" Naruto seemed to sigh, tired just by listening to Lee, "We must not interrupt them, let us be off."

"Hang on..." The three of them looked at me, I was staring intently at the item that the children were throwing their Kunai at. "I know I've been gone from the village for a while, but when did that get put in here?" Naruto leaned forward as the other two seemed to have their eyes bug out of their head,

"Okay, watch this! I'm gonna nail it!" One of the kids announced, focusing, we each gave an expression of horror and jumped down in front of the target log. Naruto blocking the Kunai with his butt in the process,

"Ah~!" Naruto exclaimed, looking at his butt with pain,

"Uh, what an idiot..." I sighed, looking at the target and putting a hand under my chin in thought. The children seemed to exclaim their dislikes about us interfering with their training,

"Hey, that was right on the target..." One of them complained, not moving out of his throwing stance.

"It looks new, like it was placed here recently..." Lee stated,

"Ya think Geno might've done it?" Choji asked as Naruto shimmied the Kunai out of his butt cheek, I looked at the kids who were yelling at us to get out of the way. Then I looked at Lee,

"Don't let them hit the bulls-eye." I whispered, moving out of the way with them. He seemed confused but then it clicked,

"Right." He stated and we continued to watch them practice, "try loosening up your shoulders before throwing!" Lee gave out advice like candy, I glared at him,

"Who asked you?" The kid that had just thrown was shoved out of the way,

"Stand aside, I'll show ya how to do it!" He held up his Kunai and took his time aiming. "Hiiya!" He threw it and the Kunai contacted just below the bulls-eye,

"Ooo~ so close! Do not forget to focus! Focus on the target boys!" Lee kept yelling and it was getting kind of annoying, I sighed and leaned back against the wall to wait for Naruto to bring Hinata or Neji. Most likely Neji since Hinata would have a heart attack.

"Allright! I'm gonna nail it this time." The kid with the riceball shaped head stated, aiming and breathing slowly as he focused. "Focus, focus... Here we go!" He got into a throwing stance and pulled his arm back, and threw it. It hit the bulls-eye straight on, making a loud ting of metal on metal, but the kunai didn't stick, it fell out of the target. "What the-?" Lee bent down and picked up the kunai,

"There must be a flaw in the blade. Yes, indeed, let that be a lesson: you must take good care of your weapons!" I sighed in relief, if this trap was really set by Geno, then I'm glad that it didn't stick.

"Hey, no fair! That was a bulls-eye!" The kid complained, I rolled my eyes,

"Just take it and let someone else throw." I grumbled, looking at the bulls-eye intently. Another kid came up, talking big,

"...on the money!" I only caught the last of what he said, since I decided to listen to the kids boasting for the hell of it.

"That is the spirit!" Lee cheered, I elbowed him,

"Doesn't 'don't let them hit the target' ring any bells, Lee?" He 'oof-ed' and gave me a shameful smile.

"That one looks good!" He yelled, watching the kids' kunai fly through the air, I gasped,

"Oh, no. If that one sticks who knows what might happen,"

"Bushy brow!"

"Grab it, Lee!" Neji had yelled at him, but I was already moving and had made it there in a blink of an eye when Naruto and the others entered. Catching it just inches away from it's target, the bulls-eye. Naruto and the others ran over,

"Wow, nice catch, Kasai." I smiled,

"Thanks, Naruto." The kids began to get irritated and started yelling at us, Kiba growled and glared at them,

"Quiet ya brats! If you had hit the bulls-eye, then the entire academy would've blown up!" All the kids got terrified expressions and I sighed,

"Way to give it to them lightly, Kiba." I sighed, tossing the kunai back at them. I summoned Iku with a high pitched whistle and told him to find the others and gather them up here. He nodded and dashed off, doing what he was told. We waited for a few minutes before they all appeared. Neji gave Shikamaru and the others a run down.

"A triggering device hidden inside it, huh?" Shikamaru asked, I gave a stifled yawn, _I haven't slept since two nights ago, before we reached the Leaf. Thanks to Geno, I haven't slept since. Man._ I gave a big yawn and shook my head afterwards, trying to clear the sleep from my eyes. _Now that I think about it, I haven't eaten since yesterday either... and that Ramen was all I had... _My vision began to get blurry and I saw their mouths move but the sound wasn't reaching my ears, _what's...? _A hand suddenly landed on my shoulder, I was so out of it that I only turned my head to see who had done it,

"Hm?" Someone had come over, probably noticing how out of it I was, and was concerned.

"Are you alright?" _Who's voice is that..? _

The last thing I remember was feeling like a rock in a pond as I fell to the ground.

* * *

**There it is! Kasai did in fact pass out, and as we all know, when a Jinjuuriki gets weak, the creature inside gets stronger and fights to get out.**

**Hope you liked it! I stretched it as far as I saw fit,**

**Until next time!**

**-Kasai!**


	8. Heading Out

**A/N: I'm with you by Avril Lavigne, I listened while writing the next two chapters (this is included in the two)  
**

**Neji's POV**

I caught her just as she was about to hit the ground,

"Guys?" I called out and held her up awkwardly, Naruto looked at her with surprise plain on his face, Kiba was worried. Suddenly her eyes flew open, only, they weren't her eyes.

"What's going on?" Kiba asked, seeing her pure blue eyes, a roar shredded out of her throat that sounded like a Wolfs. Suddenly, a beast sprang out of her,

"What the-?" I questioned, watching as a black and silver wolf with ten tails appeared in front of us. It looked down at us, but it didn't attack, "Naruto, go tell the Hokage!" I ordered, watching Shikamaru and Naruto run for the Hokage's Mansion. The wolf looked every which way and decided to head for the main gate, bounding that way but it looked as though it was being careful. Unfortunately, the Jounin and Chunin of the village were on its tails, they attacked it with all they had, but the beast just continued to try and leave the village. "Was that-?"

"That was Kasai... But how?!" Kiba asked, his face showing pure rage, but his eyes showing pure confusion.

"It doesn't matter now, we need to detain her." I stated, running after the great beast as it was taken down. We didn't have a single casualty_. What kind of beast is this that doesn't even wreak havoc and chaos?_ Moments later the beast was detained and a sleeping Kasai with shredded clothing lay where the beast once was.

_What just happened?_

* * *

**Kasai's POV**

I groaned, moving my body slowly, my mind groggy from something, what I wasn't sure of yet. _Geno! _I suddenly remembered that the village was under some form of attack and I shot up, apparently too fast, because my head swirled.

"She's awake. Alert the Hokage."

_Who's voice is that?_ My body stiffened and I could hear a loud growling in my head,

_"Kasai, are you alright?" My inner demon asked me,_

_"I feel like I've been reincarnated... What happened after I passed out at the training hall?" I was suddenly pulled into a subsection of my brain where the metal bars held my Okami within my head. The Okami looked at me with sad eyes,_

_"When you passed out, I was released, as I always am when you sleep unnaturally." I gasped and got a fleeting image of the Okami being sprouted from the building and looking for a way to get out, "I attempted to leave the village without hurting any of the buildings or people, but we were detained. I wanted to get you to a safe area to heal and rest." Unlike most other Jinjuuriki's I lucked out and got a compliant one that wants to keep me alive as long as it gets to come out once in a while. It's why I never stayed in one place, I'd find a secluded place and let her out to roam and see the world through her eyes. But the seal would always take hold after a little while and she'd be pulled back in and we'd continue on to our next destination.  
_

_"Thank you for trying, but I should've taken better care of myself so we wouldn't be in this situation." I smiled at my beastly friend, the only one I could truly trust, because the Leaf has shown me what it does to Jinjuuriki who lose control. My beastly friend let a soft tail out and wiped away a tear that had begun to fall, I looked up at her and smiled, "Thank you, Okami." I closed my eyes and was jolted back into my body,_

"Let. Me. Go!" I screamed as loud as I possibly could, my shriek worst than nails on a chalkboard. My wrists and ankles have been chained to the floor so I couldn't actually get up without someone loosening the chains attached to the shackles. I thrashed about wildly, "I want to leave this village!" The door burst open,

"Someone hold her down!" Tsunade's voice ordered, six anbu's appeared and held my thrashing body down on the metallic floor. The cold floor reflected what emotion I gave in my eyes, coldness, a death glare. I wanted out and I wanted to disappear again. My body was lifted up so I would face Tsunade on her level,

"Sorry, was it too much work for you to bend down to my level? Or am I too beneath you?"

SLAP!

"I grant you permission to return to this village and this is how you repay me?! By letting your beast take over?!" She yelled at me and I dared not cry, I bit my lip until blood came out, then I grinned, licking up the blood that flowed from my lip.

"Who said I wanted to stay? I've always moved around for the very reason you beat me. My conscience is clear, my beast and I are friends. Let me leave and I won't come back." I promised, I wouldn't want to stay around this village anyways, especially with one that treats Jinjuuriki like this. Tsunade seemed to falter at my words, her anger seeping away,

"What do you mean you and your beast are friends? Does this mean you asked it to come out like it did?"

"Why should I explain myself to you? It's not like you'll listen! All of you!" My eyes glared at all the Anbu, "You think I'm dangerous now, you want me out of here!? So be it! I'll leave!" The arms around me loosened and Tsunade looked down at me, I growled, letting my beast do the growling for me.

"I guess you've given me no other choice, since you won't talk... Banishment then. Leave the village as soon as possible and don't come back. Ever." My head was forced down in a bow, my hair stringing around me as I glared up at her, she was a childhood friend, a longtime friend. _Not anymore._ I was released and I sprang out of the detainment center towards the storage unit that was no longer considered my home. I barged into the apartment that Kakashi and I shared, grabbing my only bag and tossing all my stuff in it. Kakashi had taken a picture with Naruto, Sakura, Neji, and I. I threw it onto the ground, breaking the glass, I didn't bother keeping it. This was a village full of betrayers.

"Kasai? What's going on? What happened?" Kakashi had appeared at the door, I glared at him, exactly like Orochimaru would a prey. He froze in place,

"It doesn't fucking matter. I hate this village and everyone in it! I'm leaving!" I screamed, grabbing my now full bag and jumping out the closed window. Glass fragments cut into my skin and some stuck in it as Kakashi tried to follow me. I threw a Kunai with a paper bomb attached at the building behind me, if they saw me as a monster, then I'll show them a monster. My grin could rival that of Orochimaru's with how creepy and evil it looked. Finally, after hopping a few rooftops, I made it to the main gate of the Leaf. Without a moments hesitation, I darted through the gates without a single goodbye to all those I had grown up with and had plenty of fond memories with. A hand grabbed my own and I turned around and punched the face that was near me,

"Don't touch me!" I screamed, backing away, I had hit Naruto. The number one knuckle-headed ninja of the leaf. One of the first real friends I thought I had made, he stood with blood streaming out of his mouth, but wiped it away. It looked like he had barely had time to put his jacket on before he sprang out of his house in pursuit of me because he didn't have his headband on and his jacket wasn't zipped up.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, gruffly, glaring me down.

"I'm leaving, what's it look like?" We weren't as far from the gate as I'd like to be, knowing Naruto he told every single person on the way here what was happening,

"Why?" He asked, his eyes seeming sad yet determined.

"Because it's the order of your precious Hokage." I spat out, venom seeping out of every word, I couldn't trust the sincerity in his voice. Hinata, Neji, and Lee appeared at the front gate,

"Kasai!" They echoed my name between the three of them, I held my head, my beast wanted to get away as much as I did. My head began to pound and I held it with skull crushing force,

"Get away!" I yelled, chakra bursted out of me and sent an invisible shockwave towards them, knocking them back and away from me.

"Kasai, where are-"

"Why bother? I'm a monster. That's all I'll ever be to your Hokage, and the people in this village. You all saw it happen. Stay away from me if you want to live." I stated, turning my back, apparently that was a mistake. Naruto grabbed ahold of me by my waist,

"You aren't going anywhere!" He yelled, and I could feel his body growing warm, "I'm not losing another friend to Orochimaru!"

"How did you know where I was going?" I asked, surprised,

"I saw your curse mark. Your hair may hide it, but I've seen one before. On Sasuke." I was instantly reminded of the day Sasuke and I met. I remembered him talking about Naruto a lot. How strong he was. I couldn't stay here,

"Kasai... We're... we're your friends." Hinata managed to get out, stumbling over her own words as Neji got up from the attack I had sent their way.

"That's right. You aren't going anywhere."

"Your Hokage ordered it! You aren't supposed to go against her orders!" I turned around and glared at all of them, my eyes a bright blue from keeping control of my beast, "Let me go, or I'll kill you." I said in the most deadly voice I could manage with all these emotions running through me. Naruto let go from surprise and I took that as my chance to attack, I elbowed his nose, lifting my leg at a great speed and smashing my foot into his face as he flew back and knocked the others down.

"Idiots. Traitors." I mummured as I looked away from the village for the last time and began to run away from it, heading to Kami knows where. I just had to get away from here.

* * *

**Naruto's** **POV**

_What the hell just happened? _I held my broken nose, my bleeding face, in my hand as I watched her run away from us.

"Kasai!" I yelled after her, I tried to go after her but Kakashi Sensei showed up and stopped me,

"No, Naruto... Let her go."

"What the hell!? Are you kidding me?! She's- but- she's one of us!" I looked up at him and saw how sad his eyes were, is he upset too? I looked at the other three, "Didn't she say that it was Grandma Tsunade's order that she be banished?" They nodded and I took off towards the Hokage's office, Grandma Tsunade was about to get the fight of her life.

"How could you!?" I yelled, bursting in through the door, on our way to the office all the other Genin had gathered into our group. All eleven of us were together once again, with a few other Jounin of course. Tsunade looked at me with an irritated expression, I don't care how pissed off she gets, she isn't as pissed off as I am.

"Naruto, it was for the safety of the village!"

"Then why don't you banish me too?!" I yelled, glaring at her, looking her in the eyes. She couldn't have just outed Kasai like that, not after what Kasai did for us. Or tried to do. She tried to help us protect the village, and her Okami didn't destroy or hurt anyone. I don't understand, "Why'd you have to go kick her out of the village like that?"

"Lady Hokage, please explain the situation to us." Tenten asked, wanting an explanation like the rest of us that were here. Tsunade sighed,

"All of you want one?" She questioned, looking at all the people that had poured into her office, and trailed out into the hallway. "Fine. Kasai is a Jinjuuriki, she holds the Ten Tails Beast within her. She isn't supposed to exist because the Akatsuki don't even know that she holds this beast within her. I don't know how she kept it from them while she was held at their hideout..."

"She was with the Akatsuki?" Neji asked, amazed,

"Yes. She also spent some time with Orochimaru. She met Sasuke and talked with him for a while before she escaped. She's been able to hold her beast in check so far. Why now did it decide to attack the village?"

"But, Milady, if I may, her beast didn't attack anyone." Sakura intervened, interrupting Tsunade, something people never really did.

"Her beast was looking for a way out." A voice I recognized stated, and we all turned to see Jiriyah at the window,

"Jiriyah?" Tsunade stated, out of shock, "What do you mean a way out?"

"I've tailed her for some time, we also spent some time together. Her and her beast are on equal terms, they coexist, sure, but her and her beast are friends. They understand one another and she only lets the beast out when she's absolutely sure there's no way anyone can get hurt, frightened, or report it to the Akatsuki. She finds secluded places to do this. She told me in confidence once, 'my beast, she doesn't like to kill others. She likes to see the world through her eyes, and if she can do it through me sometimes, then so be it. I won't take anything else away from her.' She's been strong all these years, Tsunade. Pushing her out of the village now... Who knows what you might've snapped in her." Pervy sage looked at her with serious eyes,

"You mean... I could've created a raging Jinjuuriki that's bent on destroying us now?"

"She called us traitors." Hinata stated, making us look at her,

"What?" I asked, tears streaming down my face, my teeth grinding together.

"She feels betrayed by you. All of you as a whole now. She's put nothing but trust into this village, she left for the good of the village. Even if you don't see it that way yet. I was supposed to meet her outside the village and she was going to show me the Akatsuki hideout. She's hurt, feeling alone, who knows what might happen-"

"She said she was going to Orochimaru's. I saw the curse mark on her neck," I barely managed to get it out through a tight jaw, my hands clenched so hard that my nails had cut into my palms. I could feel all eyes on me, and I had a flash back to when we were still in the academy, just starting it.

_"Hey, Naruto!" Someone had called my name, who would call my name? I looked up to see a girl with short grey hair and fire colored eyes looking at me on the ground, "What're you doin' down there?" She asked, I looked up at her confused,_

_"Why do you care? Everyone else looks at me like..."_

_"Because you're adorable!" She stated, as if that was a good enough reason, I blinked, looking at her._

_"Are you crazy?"_

_"Sometimes." She grabbed my hand, "Come on, we're going to be late for class." It's the first day of school, doesn't she know that she'll be shunned for even talking to me? Let alone being my friend... wait... I have a friend... I smiled and ran to keep up with her._

"Orochimaru's? Are you sure, Naruto?" Pervy sage asked me, alarm in his voice,

"Yes, I heard it from her own mouth."

"We need to stop her. If she goes willingly..." Jiriyah started planning and Kakashi Sensei stepped forward. I felt useless, even after almost a year after Sasuke's leave and I still can't save anyone. Useless!

"Master Jiriyah." Kakashi Sensei stated, looking the two Sanin in the eyes, "If we bring her back by force, I don't think she'll be very happy. We just need to get to her and talk to her. Send my team. The fourth member can be anyone but you two."

"I'll go." Asuma Sensei stepped out,

"Wait, I want to go!" Kiba argued, stepping out of the crowd as well, Akamaru barking in agreement.

"Alright! I'll decide!" Tsunade yelled, making the sudden arguement die.

"Choose quickly. The longer we wait, the faster and farther away she gets." Jiriyah stated, looking at everyone with grave eyes.

"Kakashi. You, Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata will go after Kasai. I don't care what it takes, stop her from reaching that hideout." Tsunade ordered, the four of us smiled, even Kakashi Sensei, "Asuma, you and Shikamaru will go as backup."

"You bet!" I yelled and I jumped out of the window, which made everyone else follow me. "I'll bring you back!"

* * *

**Kasai's POV **

I jumped from tree to tree, tears streaming down my face, my foot caught on a branch and I tripped and fell to the ground. Memories with all those stupid people flashed through my mind, making me hurt more than I should. I curled up and cried, I had traveled a great distance over only a few minutes, I was almost to Orochimaru's hideout. He could have my body, I didn't care anymore. My home, my childhood, it was ripped from me now. No more fond memories can keep me from dying on the inside. My body flinched as I slowly buried the old me deep within myself,

"Time to keep moving." I got up and I could feel the expression on my face, it was cold and dead. I shrugged off the blood that flooded from my knee that had been the result of my tumble to the forest floor.

_"Kasai, what are you doing?" _My beast made a reappearance, making me grip my head,

"I'm going to Orochimaru, I'm done with these stupid people in the world. They all treat me the same." Monotone. I had no emotion in my voice as I told her this, I was telling her that I was going to end both our lives.

_"Kasai? Why? You didn't give her time to talk-"_

"She would've said the same thing all the others did. She would've kicked me out all the same." I argued, clenching my fists as I moved faster than I had before, covering more ground than I needed to.

_"She wanted to know what happened, Kasai. Calm down and talk to me." _She begged, she didn't want to die. I didn't care either way. My family is dead, my best friend is dead, everyone I once loved was dead. Why should I stick around and watch it all happen again?

"I'm almost there. Shut up and let me travel in peace." I wiped my tears and my stomach grumbled, "Damn it. I still haven't eaten much." I pushed off of a branch, leaving an imprint of my foot in the wood. I'd have to stop eventually, even I have my limits, I need to eat. Soon.

"Kasai?" I heard a familiar voice and looked over to my right to see Kabuto on his way back from somewhere,

"Kabuto!" I gave him a fake smile, "I've come to return for good." He seemed surprised at my statement and then grinned as well,

"About time you came around. I've been dying to see you again." He gripped my chin with his thumb and index finger, cupping it and lifting my face up. His features seemed to soften, but I knew I couldn't trust that. It was Kabuto after all, during the Chunin exams he was so nice to Naruto and the others that they were completely fooled. I turned my head away as a tear fell down my cheek,

"Are you... crying?" He asked, and concern immediately covered his features as I began to crumple up into a ball again. He sighed, "It was those stupid leaf ninja, wasn't it? That village is nothing but-"

"Traitors..." I stated, whimpering and clutching to him. I usually would've been stronger than this. But I've been strong for far too long,

"We'll take the long way home, how about that?" I nodded against his chest and he let me cry on him, Kabuto was always kinder towards me. Weather it was for his own gain or not I never figured out. But he was nice to me now, when I needed a friend, so I took it.

* * *

**A/N: MOIHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! I WAAAAS gonna keep writing... but then I saw how much I wrote... and I was like... "I could end the chapter right here *evil smile* *cackles like Light from death note* then I realized, "I love me :)" I'm so devious C:  
**

**Until Next Time!**

**-Kasai**

**P.s. Will they reach her in time? Will Orochimaru come out and meet them?**

**P.s.s My friend has just updated her story, putting it online, her and I will do major crossovers with our stories because we're best friends- she starts in Shippuden though. Her name is Waterwip65 and she's doing "Clouds Roll In"**

**READ IT**


	9. Choices Part 1

**A/N: You might've been a little upset about me cutting off the last chapter but... Mer... :P**

* * *

I could feel Kabuto walking, he kept quiet, knowing somehow that I needed time to think and cry. My hands had clasped his shirt tightly as I cried into him and his only response seemed to be holding me closer. His hands tightened around me and I smelled blood. I looked up at him to find that his lip was bleeding,

"Kabuto?" I whispered, looking at him he seemed to finally notice that I had stopped crying, I put a hand up to his lips and healed the small wound. "Why did you bite through your lip?" I asked, my voice was only a whisper, but I could bet that he heard every word as if I was yelling it. He seemed conflicted for some reason, then sighing, he told me,

"You're the only person that makes me feel... Well human again. It's strange and I don't know if I like the sensation quite yet..." He seemed depressed by something and it only made me hate myself even more. I planned on giving Orochimaru my body, or killing myself. Now I had Kabuto being a close companion who didn't want to lose the humane part of himself. Sasuke and Kabuto were now depending on me to keep them human and themselves. I sighed, Kabuto looked down at me again,

"We're almost there." He stated, his facial expression going cold. I nodded as he sat me down so I could walk on my own, I wiped my face with a cloth I kept in my back pocket and then made my expression go cold.

"Kasai!"

"Now what." Turning around, I saw Naruto jumping through the trees with Kiba, Hinata, and Kakashi. _Why'd it have to be this group? Of all the people..._ I looked at them with the dead expression I had quickly grown accustomed to. "What do you want?" Naruto's eye flitted from me to Kabuto, I had changed my outfit from my Ninja wear to a long sleeved shirt that hugged my torso and my forearms then it flowed out with music notes on each side of the long cloth. It was long enough to be a very short dress, but I wore long black pants with it, bindings covering my ankles and my chest within my shirt. My hair was in its usual tight braid but I had no headband on. I didn't belong to a village anymore, I only belonged to myself. I chose what to do now.

"Get away from her!" Naruto yelled, I rolled my eyes and looked at Kabuto, who was mimicking the same sadistic grin that had spread itself across my lips.

"I went to him, Naruto."

"Hard to when she found me." Kabuto and I spoke at the same time, Naruto's eyes seemed to flash red and my eyes looked to Kabuto for an explanation. His eyes told me the story, _He's like you_, his eyes stated. I looked at Naruto and scoffed,

"Go home. This is my home-"

"No!" I froze, that wasn't Naruto who had spoken, my eyes skimmed over Naruto and Hinata to Kiba. I swallowed hard, _if I don't sever this tie now, they'll always come looking for me. Like they do for Sasuke. _I looked at Kabuto, chewing on my bottom lip, it was something I did when I would get nervous. He realized what was happening and grinned at me,

"Kasai, these people betrayed you. They kicked you out of their village." He gripped my chin once more, except this time it was roughly,

"Kabuto? What're you-?" He gave Kiba a wicked grin before smashing his lips against my own. My heart slammed against my chest, his lips were cold, they didn't feel right against mine. I raised my hands up to his chest and began to fight against him, but my body was still really weak. Lack of sleep and lack of food does that to a person.

"Man beast clone!" I heard from Kiba, there was a poof and tears started falling as Kabuto held me closer, breaking the kiss as he looked at them.

"Please." He smirked, lifting me up bridal style as he dodged the fang over fang that Kiba and Akamaru used. _Why...?_ Naruto used his shadow clones and Kabuto cut every single one of them down with his medical ninjutsu. _Why are they...? _ Hinata stepped up and activated her Byakugan, putting her hands in front of her, I knew she was going to use the gentle fist. She isn't as good as Neji, she can't take on Kabuto. Kakashi can barely handle Kabuto! My hands moved of their own accord as I shoved my way out of his arms and fell down in the air towards the ground,

"Hinata!" Kabuto had thrown an attack at her and I hugged her, blocking the attack with my own body. Five sharp medical needles slid into my back, my muscles being forced apart and unattached from their original strands. I bit my lip to keep from crying out,

"Kasai! Hinata! Why you-!" Naruto yelled, cursing as his eyes became a bright red and he bent over, red chakra flew out of him and enveloped his body. I recognized it right away as a cloak that his beast gave him. My own was black instead of his red.

"Kabuto! Go!" I cried, I didn't want Kabuto getting hurt, and Naruto in this form could do worse than just hurt him. Medical Ninjutsu or not. Kabuto looked at me with worry in his eyes, but I gave him a soft smile that told him I'd be back. His eyes hardened and he jumped for Naruto, "No!" I screamed, Kakashi jumped in and knocked Naruto back just in time to knock Kabuto off his course. I jumped up and ran towards Kabuto, shoving Kakashi out of the way as Kiba did fang over fang with Akamaru, they had already started so they couldn't stop the attack from hitting both me and Kabuto. I hugged Kabuto as the attack hit me spot on and we spun a few yards away, Kabuto had made sure that he landed first.

"Kasai?" He called out to me, worried about my wounds, medical needles and scaples in my back along with my skin being all twisted from fang over fang. My shirt was shredded in the back. Quickly, he moved me so I laid on my stomach and slowly took the sharp objects out of my back while healing me. Naruto's menacing chakra was gone, I couldn't sense it anymore. Kabuto had begun to heal me, there was pure muscle showing on my back and I could feel it plain as day.

"Kasai!" Kiba yelled, "Get the hell away from her!" Kabuto was just trying to help, after all I had just saved him. After a moment, I heard a slight hissing noise. _No..._ I got up and turned to the others,

"Get away from here! Orochimaru is here!"

"Kasai, what a lovely surprise." His voice hissed, a hand dripping onto my shoulder like he evaporated out of nowhere. I froze where I stood and immediately lost all emotion on my face, Kabuto adjusted his glasses and stood.

"Lord Orochimaru. We were hoping not to disturb you while we took care of these pests." He reported, covering my ass. Orochimaru's eyes seemed to skim across the others until he reached Naruto, "Well, Sasuke. It seems that your friends have returned." Sasuke appeared out of what seemed like nowhere as well, on the other side of me,

"What friends?" He asked, standing just a few inches taller than me, Naruto's eyes seemed to be going red again. "All I see are a bunch of losers that aren't worth a second of my time." He leaned down so he could whisper into my ear, my eyes widened at his action.

* * *

**Kiba's POV**  


_He kissed her! Why did he kiss her?! _

"Akamaru! Man beast clone! Fang over fang!"

A few moments later, Kasai was on the ground and Kabuto was hovering over her.

"Kasai! Get the hell away from her!" I saw a green light and was instantly reminded of the Chunin exams, he helped out then too, but he was hiding out as an anbu. I got a stale smell on the wind and saw a hand grasp Kasai's shoulder, _no._ A second later Orochimaru was behind her on her left side and her expression had gone cold. She didn't look like the Kasai I had grown to know,

"Kasai, what a lovely surprise." That snake hissed, glaring at each one of us until he found Naruto, I quickly glanced at him, "Well, Sasuke. It seems that your friends have returned." Then the snake's apprentice appeared on her right, in front of Kabuto.

"What friends?" He scoffed, I quickly looked at Naruto again only to see that his eyes had gone red and some weird black lines had appeared around his lips and eyes. "All I see are a bunch of losers that aren't worth a second of my time." Sasuke continued to annoy the living hell outta me, then he leaned down and whispered something into Kasai's ear. _Why are they all getting so close to her like that?! First Kabuto kisses her now Sasuke is whispering in her ear like that? Where do they get off..._Kasai seemed to nod in understanding at something and made a hand sign,

"Lord Orochimaru." She stated, making the Snakey eyed fiend look back at her,

"Yes, my dear?"

"I will return soon. I have to go check on something back at the hideout." Orochimaru nodded and looked back at Naruto,

"Well, how bout it, Sasuke? You've been training for the past few months. Want to see who's gotten stronger?" Sasuke shrugged, ignoring us like he was all high and mighty. _Where did Kasai go? _I looked around for her and even sniffed the air for her scent, but it was no good, the wind was blowing towards our enemies, not from them.

"I'd rather take a nap." Sasuke finally responded, looking Naruto in the face then turning around,

"Wait. Now that Kasai is back with us," Kasai seemed to reappear out of nowhere, "Why don't you walk with her back to the compound. Kabuto and I will handle things here." Sasuke seemed to grow irritated at the fact that he had to play babysitter and turned to face Kasai,

"Why bother? They'll just fight harder to come after the both of us instead of just me." He put his hand down on her cheek, then slid it behind her head, bringing her forward. _Is he gonna kiss her too? Jeez..._ Naruto seemed to lose control more and more until-

**_CRACK_**

Kasai had been falling towards Sasuke, then he swiftly had twisted her head around. He snapped her neck. _He killed her._ That was our breaking point,

"Kasai!" Naruto and I rang out at the same time, running over towards her as Sasuke walked away from us with a sadistic grin. Naruto had a red bubbling thing around his body, I think it's chakra. Whatever it is, it's helping him be faster and stronger than before, all I wanted to do was wipe that stupid grin off of Sasuke's face.

"Sasuke!" We both yelled once more in sync, Sasuke disappeared and we only had Orochimaru and Kabuto to deal with. Naruto dashed after Sasuke but was cut off by Orochimaru.

"Are we late?" Shikamaru's voice broke through the ear splitting rage that had overcome both Naruto and I. Suddenly, I remembered that Hinata was there. She looked terrified as she looked at Kasai's dead form, her head had lolled towards us, her eyes were wide open and you could see the bumps on her neck from the vertebrae. Rushing, I got over to Hinata and covered her eyes, holding her in my chest.

"Hinata, breath. The hell you are! Look what happened because you decided to wait just a few seconds!" I pointed over to Kasai and Kakashi and Asuma Sensei both seemed to get sick and pale. Kakashi Sensei's eyes seemed to widen, he had moved his headband to use his Sharingan and now he could see every detail of the dead Kasai. I wouldn't have been able to stomach that.

"Kakashi Sensei..."

"Naruto! Calm down!" He ordered, overcoming his grief to get Naruto to be himself again, walking over to him and putting a hand on him. Orochimaru seemed bored at this point,

"Come, Kabuto. We've important work to do."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." They both disappeared in a surge of black light. Naruto is on a rampage, Kasai is dead, and Hinata is going to either be really sick or pass out. Kakashi is in a deep depression that even I could see, and even Asuma Sensei seems torn at the sight.

"Hinata..." I spoke to the shaking form that I was holding onto and looked at Naruto, "Naruto! Hinata needs you!" I called out to him, he turned around and seemed to focus on us for a moment before the red chakra slowly began to evaporate. _That's right, Naruto, don't focus on Kasai and Sasuke anymore... Focus on us..._ He slowly began to go back to normal, what it was I had no friggin idea, but he's returning to normal. As soon as the red chakra disappeared and he was himself, he passed out on the spot. Hinata then snapped out of it and ran over to Naruto, I couldn't hold it in anymore as I dropped down to my knees and shook my head. Akamaru whimpered and nudged my head with his nose, he wanted to comfort me, but Kasai was my beast friend. She had gotten closer to me than anyone had within a few days. She was as important to me as Akamaru is. But now she's gone.

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**A/N: Well? Hope you enjoyed that chapter. Revie, review, review! Reviews make me update faster! Although I've been updating just for the readers, you guys have disappointed me :/ I've updated 8 chapters and only have 3 reviews, come on now... **


	10. Choices Part 2

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the last chapter *grins sadisticly* I love me :) Orochimaru smile XD Anyways, onto the story! **

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**Third Person's POV**

After everyone had watched Sasuke snap Kasai's neck, Naruto had begun to lose it again. Kakashi, Asuma, and Hinata felt sick, Kiba, angry. Kiba was holding Hinata tightly after moving into her line of vision, yelling at the others that had just arrived. They all couldn't believe it. Only one thought was going through Naruto's head,

_I haven't changed one bit... I'm still too weak... _Naruto began to growl uncontrollably, losing all sense of being human as his anger got the best of him on a new level. Losing a friend was bad enough, but his best friend killing a friend he saw as a sister? He'd had enough, he just wanted to sleep in the red abyss that bade him.

"Naruto! Hinata needs you!" Someone called out to him, he could hear Hinata's sobs so Naruto immediately grabbed control of his emotions once more. He turned around to see Hinata in Kiba's arms, crying and sick looking. The red chakra around Naruto started to disappear and his eyes returned to the icy blue they always had been. _That's right Naruto, don't focus on Sasuke and Kasai anymore... Focus on us. _Kiba thought, holding Hinata tightly and watching as his body returned to normal and passed out on the spot. Hinata seemed to snap out of it and run over to Naruto to see if he was alright, that's when Kiba couldn't hold it in anymore. He fell to his knees and cried, Akamaru seeming to whimper with him about their lost friend and comrade.

**Kasai's POV  
**

I looked up at Sasuke, his eyes seemed sad, we had gotten here ahead of time before Orochimaru and Kabuto were supposed to be back.

"Sasuke..."

"I know." Again, I looked up at him, surprised, "Naruto has that effect on people. I just have on goal. I can't go back." My eyes saddened as I hugged him tightly,

"I'll come back again. I'll always visit you." I whispered as his arms circled me, pulling me tightly against him,

"Thank you. Now go. If Naruto thinks you're dead, he'll go ballistic." Sasuke commented, releasing me and backing up into the darkness of the hideout. I wiped a tear as I backed away from him with a smile.

"Thank you, Sasuke. Orochimaru thinks I'm dead now. I can never thank you enough. On this day, every month, I'll come visit." I stated as I took off, taking the longest route I could think of to avoid Orochimaru and Kabuto. _Kakashi... Asuma... Naruto.. Kiba... Hinata... I'm coming! _I could sense Naruto's menacing chakra once more, he had calmed down after Orochimaru left but now he was back into rage mode. I ran faster and faster, calling onto my beast to give me the strength I needed to make it there in time. If Naruto was left in his present state... he'd attack anything that got close to him. _There!_ I bursted through a group of trees and passed Asuma and Kiba, heading straight for Naruto who had just knocked Kakashi out of the way, he had shielded Hinata in time.

"Naruto!" I yelled, dodging one of his two tails and hugging him tightly, resisting the urge to let go of the boy who was covered in the chakra that could burn. He growled and thrashed about as the others were stunned, my shadow clone poofed and I clung to the boy who changed me so much in a little amount of time. "Naruto, it's me, Kasai! I'm fine, I'm alive." I whispered into his ear, holding him tighter than anyone would dare when he was in this state, Jiriaya told me about this. Naruto needed to be coaxed out of it or he would have to pass out before it happened. Ear splitting roars where ripping out of his throat and his claws dug at the fresh muscles that weren't healed yet because Kabuto never got a chance to heal the skin. I cried out in pain and began shaking, I looked up at him, one eye closed from the pain and a smile on my face,

"N-naruto... It's okay now. I'm coming... coming home. With... you." I smiled at him and his eyes seemed to flicker from red to blue, finally, my body gave out and I fell into Naruto. My head landed on his shoulder and my arms dropped to my sides as his quickly caught me. From what I could tell, Naruto was back to normal,

"Kasai? Kasai! Kakashi Sensei!" He called Kakashi over, I still had a smile on my face, a true one. I was happy. I was with people who cared about me, more than life itself apparently if they were willing to fight Orochimaru for me.

"Kasai..." Kakashi breathed, Naruto removed his jacket and wrapped it around my aching muscle-bearing back as Kakashi slid his arms under me and lifted me up bridal style. "Let's get you home." His eyes were soft, I lifted one hand up and put it to his cheek, smiling.

"I'd like that..." I whispered, smiling up at him with a slight blush, and his ears seemed to be turning a shade of red, but it was hard to tell in this lighting of the forest. I noticed that Kiba walked towards me and smiled,

"You can sleep now... Kas." He gave me his jacket as well, covering the wounds from the front, my shirt was completely shredded now. I grinned at him as well, feeling blood trickle down my mouth,

"Fooled ya, didn't I?" I saw Asuma picking up Naruto who had collapsed as well, Kiba seemed to growl lightly,

"Yeah, do that again, and I'll make sure to kill you." I smiled again,

"Counting on it."

I fell into a deep sleep, it was beautifully dark.

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**A/N: Cliff hangers! Cliff hangers all around! Sorry about the short chapter, but I wanted to wait and see how you would respond to the death scene. :)  
**


	11. Home

**A/N: Well, not much to say here, I'm not sorry if you guys hated me for the last two chapters, it needed more action than what it was giving, I'm only able to make these chapters because there are days between the missions in these filler episodes, so I'm making some of my own.**

**Tell me what you think! **

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Groaning, I moved my head to the right, trying to open my eyes. I felt a slight pressure on my hand and I fought the darkness that was so welcoming to stay awake and find out what it was.

"She's waking up."

"Hey, Naruto!" Someone called, once my mind registered that Naruto was running into the room I wanted nothing more than to hide myself. I curled towards the person that was holding my hand and heard a slight chuckle. The door slid open, quickly, causing my eyes to open just as quickly only to find Kakashi the person holding my hand. I shoved my eyes to the floor, then to the curtain separating me from another patient, only there wasn't another patient in this room. It was only me.

"Is she awake?" Naruto yelled, someone hushed him,

"Not so loud." _That's Sakura's voice... _Everything that had happened before suddenly blew into my mind, making it want to burst. Tears began to sting my eyes as the others kept talking. Kakashi's voice was the only one I didn't hear, I looked up at him and saw him watching me. His soft onyx eye showing me that he wants nothing more than to get me out of the pain I'm in. _Kakashi... _I held his hand tighter and brought it up to my face and cried, my sniffling became louder, so it was audible to the others in the room.

"Why..." I managed to stutter out, Kakashi's hand caressed my cheek softly and he moved his chair closer to where his hand laid.

"Whaddya mean, why?" Naruto questioned, his voice soft in a way I hadn't heard it before. Staying where I was, I knew I wouldn't be able to face him after what I had done. Letting Okami out, even if it was an accident, it was dangerous. Okami wouldn't hurt anyone or anything, but people are fearful.

"Why did you go after me?" Tears streamed down my face and into Kakashi's gloved hand and my breathing came in hiccups. I curled myself tighter into the ball I wanted to hide into. A hand fell onto my side and I stiffened,

"Kasai... Do you really not know?" It was Kiba's voice that I heard next, it only made me cry harder and shake more. _Almost everyone of those annoying Genin came after me... Why... No one's ever been so nice to me except to gain something._ The fight flashed through my mind and I flinched,

"Is she even listening?" _Is that Neji? _I quieted down, controlling my breathing so I could listen in more,

"I don't blame her... She's like me... She's been alone most of her life. Grandma Tsunade told me that Kasai moves around, cutting herself off from ever finding a home and keeping friends." My ears twitched at the sound of Naruto's fists clenching, "Her own family attempted an assassination on her. Then the Akatsuki came into the picture," Naruto knew my whole history, I didn't want everyone else to know. So I sucked it up and grasped Kakashi's hand in mine as I sat up,

"That's enough, Naruto." My voice was raspy and my throat hurt from lack of use and crying so hard. _Should I open my eyes? _I took a deep breath and let it out slowly to open my eyes just as slowly, when they were opened, my eyes fluttered at the light in the room. When my eyes came into focus I noticed how many people were in my room, the beds were crowded with people sitting on them and chatting. It slowly began to quiet down when everyone realized that I was awake. I flinched and fell forward slightly, but Kakashi caught me,

"Careful. Your back wounds were brutal. I'm surprised you can sit up now after all that damage to the muscles and skin." I remembered being stabbed with medical needles and scalples. Kabuto attempting to heal me while the others continued to attack. I took on Kiba's fang over fang. Looking back up again with my arm in a sling, I stared into a pair of blue eyes,

"You ever try something like that again-"

"Sasuke says 'hey.'" Him and the others looked at me with surprise, shock, and a hint of anger and regret. "Thanks to him, and that shadow clone I made, Orochimaru and Kabuto now think I'm dead." I stared dead into Naruto's eyes, my own will unrelenting and I refused to back down anymore. _I won't let myself be anymore trouble for these people._

"Good." Naruto smiled and looked up at me, "It means that Sasuke still has a heart. Even if it's nearly gone now, it's still reachable." I looked at Sakura and she was biting her lip, I smiled at her. Sakura seemed taken back by the genuine smile that I gave her. Shino stepped forward,

"What happened, back at the training hall? Why did your tailed beast come out like that?" A few of them glared at him for asking a question and I leaned into Kakashi for support,

"It's simple. My beast doesn't get to come out often, Naruto told you that- yes I'm aware that you know my history, Naruto. Whenever I go into an unnatural sleep, passing out against my will, drug induced sleep, anything like that and my beast is released. I'm still working on that kind of control." They all listened and it was nice to tell people, but I didn't plan on doing it too much.

"You asked us 'why' earlier. You want to know why we all fought to come after you?" Lee asked, sensing that I wanted the answer to that question since it had yet to be talked about. Neji sat down next to my bed on the right side and looked at me,

"It's because, even though you bug the hell out of most of us."

"Neji..." Tenten sighed,

"We care about you. You're a Leaf Shinobi, even if you weren't a Ninja we'd go after you. You're family now." Neji explained, I blinked, confused for a moment before smiling.

"So you do care?" He turned red at my tease, but it was both a tease and a serious question,

"Of course!" Sakura exclaimed with a smile, everyone else replied with similar things. It hadn't been just the Genin and a few Jounin like when they came after me, there were dozens of people here to see if I'd wake up. A smile that had appeared earlier wouldn't go away, it wouldn't any time soon either. I lifted my left hand over to the sling and took it off and broke the plaster around my arm and moved it around,

"That's better."

"Kasai! You need that on your arm!" Ino shrieked, terrified of what I had just done. I laughed at her,

"I'll be fine. I just have to take it easy with my back." I began to unwrap my hand when I saw Hinata, "Oh, Hinata, are you alright? I wasn't concious much longer after protecting you..." She seemed to look down, ashamed, then she looked up with steady eyes.

"Thank you!" She squeaked, doing the best to her abilities to be bold, she bowed her head. Eyes softening, guard down, body relaxed, I was becoming soft. I gave her a soft smile, looking at all the others,

"I'm sure you all have something better to be doing than watching me recover, hn." I nodded my head as they all laughed at me, folding my arms I realized that I had said 'hn'. I was using Deidara's habit of speech, I had always made fun of him for it. _Guess they rubbed off on me. _My nose started twitching and I reared my head back, "ACHOO!" I shrieked, making everyone jump, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, owwww!" I squirmed, holding my back. Everyone seemed to pause for a moment, taking in what had happened and began to laugh at me. Even Kakashi had doubled over laughing at me, Asuma smiled, lighting a cigarette, Kuranai was next to him- _so they're dating, huh? Cute._ Shikamaru seemed to crack a smile and then Tsunade walked in,

"Alright, anyone lower than a Chunin rank out." Naruto was about to complain when she held up a hand, "Naruto and Sakura stay." Kiba growled and left Akamaru for me on my bed. Akamaru's soft white body crawled up and laid in my lap, I smiled gently and gave him a smile as well while he walked out, grumbling to himself. Tsunade looked down at me then sat on my bed edge, putting a hand on my own,

"I'm glad you're alright, Kasai. I'm sure the entire village can breath a sigh of relief."

"I'm not that important." I shook my head, not believing the woman who kicked me out so easily,

"Never say that." Naruto growled, looking at me, "You're one of my friends now, you mean a lot to the entire village. Do you realize how many people went to Grandma Tsunade's office to fight her to go after you? Every single person who had heard of what had happened!" He swished his arm out and stood leaning over the bed frame, "We laid our lives down for you! How could you say-"

"That's enough, Naruto." Tsunade said in a low voice, it wasn't in an angry way, but it shut him up just the same, "We need to know where the hideout is. Do you think you could tell us all their hideouts?" I shook my head,

"I may have them all memorized, but I couldn't tell you by looking at a map. I only know them by traveling."

"Then how do you know which hideout they're at?" Tsunade questioned, her brow furrowed in confusion,

"Sasuke or Kabuto would send a messenger owl to me. It'd always be in the dead of night when they would move around, after I'd get a letter, I'd go meet up with them. It's usually every month. Kabuto doesn't know I'm alive, neither does Orochimaru, but Sasuke will most likely continue this process." I reported with a sigh, gripping my fists together in anger,

"Kasai, calm down. You're starting to act like Naruto." Kakashi warned me, he was making me laugh and smile. I bit my lip to try and keep from smiling but all it did was make me smile bigger.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto blazed,

"Wait, does this mean you have contact with Sasuke? Constantly?" Sakura asked, her eyes were wide and her arms put together in front of her. She looked at me with a new hope that I hadn't ever seen from anyone, mainly because hope didn't exist where I was from. I looked away form her, my eyes darting to the floor as quickly as I had seen that expression,

"Not always. He tries to keep in touch, but the message takes a few days to get to me. The bird that they decide to use has to find me first." I continued to spill information that could get me killed, _once Orochimaru gets wind of this information being spilt, he'll definitely send someone to gather me up. Then comes the slow torture like before._ My body stiffened but I refused to be consumed by my past anymore. Sakura's eyes lit up,

"Will you keep me informed? Will you send letters for me?" She got in my face and I fell against Kakashi, backing away. Kakashi's arms held me up, I didn't know how to respond with someone so forward like this for Sasuke,

"Sakura, calm down!" Tsunade ordered, I had nearly forgotten she was here. "Now, Kasai, do you think you could tell us when they reach their next destination?"

"I'll try. But Sasuke's going to have to be more tricky than before, Orochimaru never knew that they were sending out his information. He just assumed my tracking skills were that good. I used Iku a lot, so it was partly my tracking skills." I swayed, my eyes going in and out of focus,

"Kasai!" Kakashi gasped, catching me before I fell off the bed, my eyes stayed out of focus and I couldn't tell what was going on. It felt like my entire body was covered in some dense sand. I know this feeling, but the one from before was different, so it must just be my body. My head lolled to the side as I looked at Naruto,

"Thank you..." Naruto's eyes softened and he walked over, adjusting the pillows on my bed and then backing away so Kakashi could set me back down. Naruto looked at Tsunade,

"When do you think she can leave the hospital? I think team Kakashi could use a new addition." My eyes flew open, _really?_ I looked at Naruto, amazed,

"I just tried to leave the village to Orochimaru and you want me on your team?" I just couldn't get a hold of how this kid acts, Naruto smiled and nodded,

"Uhuh. You're strong, and I have a feeling we'd do great training together! After all, you're our friend! How else are we supposed to keep you from doing stupid stuff like that again?"

"Stupid stuff, huh? Who used to be the class clown always getting into trouble?" Sakura stated, looking at her friend,

"Eeeeuhh..." Naruto pushed two fingers together and looked like Hinata while doing so, I laughed at them then winced, gasping at the pain and slowly laid back down.

"Even with my advanced healing medical ninjutsu, you'll be here for a few days." I gaped, _a few days?! I can't sit around for a few days! I have to get stronger so I can withstand more. I need to be able to fight Orochimaru... I don't have the know how yet... _"Even with your tailed beast helping you out, you'll be here for another day or two, three tops." I whimpered like a dog, hanging my head as I heard this news.

"She's just like Naruto." Kakashi chuckled,

"Is she?" Tsunade asked,

"She'll try to sneak out of the hospital before then. Just like Naruto and Lee did. She can't stand staying still too long, it's part of the reason she moved from village to village." Kakashi explained, he knew me too well. I elbowed Kakashi in the stomach and he gripped himself, "What was that for?"

"Snitching on me before I even did it." I folded my arms and puffed out my cheeks, making everyone laugh. I blushed lightly, hiding my face behind my hair, which I noticed was out of it's tight braid. _Great, it's going to be SO tangled..._ I looked at Sakura as Tsunade left with a few parting words,

"S-sakura?" I stammered, unsure of how she'd react to my request, she turned around,

"Yes?"

"Can... well... Can you get me a brush?" I blushed, scratching my cheek with a finger as she smiled at me,

"Yeah, I know how long hair gets easily tangled. I'll bring you one in no time!" She gave me a smile that I had only seen on Naruto and Kiba until now. I smiled softly, _I think I'll like it here._

"Oh, wait! Tsunade?" I called and she popped her head back in,

"Yes, Kasai? What is it?"

"Am I... um... Am I allowed to stay in the Leaf?" She looked at me with soft topaz eyes,

"Of course. But don't go broadcasting the fact that we have two Jinjuuriki. Okay?" I nodded and held my hand up to stop her from leaving once more,

"And um... Naruto's request?" She smiled once more, nodding only once to answer my question. Naruto jumped to my side and hugged me, forgetting momentarily about my wounds,

"Ow, Naruto!" I yelled, he let go and put his hands up,

"I'm sorry!"

"Should've thought about that!" He closed his eyes, ready to get punched, but the punch he was waiting for never came. I hugged him, tightly. I couldn't see his expression because my head was next to his and I was crying. He gently put his arms around me and hugged me back, "Thank you, Naruto. For showing me what ties I still have, and what ties I can make." I hugged him tighter and he just stood there while I did it. He waited until my crying had died down and then laid me back down in the hospital bed.

"I'll come visit as much as I can, okay?" He whispered, smiling. I nodded, biting my lip as he walked out.

"Bark, bark!"

"Oh, Akamaru! I forgot about you!" He growled at me, like he was asking me 'how dare you?' I giggled and held him to my cheek, rubbing our heads together, he yapped happily. "Hello, puppy~." I smiled and nuzzled him, then laid back down with him curled into me in a snuggle. Kakashi stood up,

"Well, I guess I should get going to." He seemed like he didn't want to leave me here alone,

"There aren't any other patients here. I have one of the make out tactics in my bag if you wanna read it..." He seemed a little surprised that I had one, considering he showed it to me a few years back and I threw it in his face calling him a perv. I just giggled at him and he turned red, he walked over to my bag and tossed it to me. It smashed me in the nose,

"Ow~, Kakashi!" I griped, rubbing my nose and wrinkling it until it felt normal again, he laughed,

"Sorry, guess you weren't expecting that?"

"Not in this state. I can't move worth crap." He pushed a bed over near mine so that we could stay up and talk like we used to. _It's going to be a nice night. I'm home, Minato, Third. I'm home.  
_

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Next Day  


I snuggled towards the warmth in my bed and sighed, I remembered I was in the hospital, but I had to get moving and get training again. I wasn't nearly strong enough to keep myself from Orochimaru if I was even at my best with Okami. I felt a warmth in front of me and a warmth on my back, which was relaxing since the skin was still tender from being healed and regrown thanks to Tsunade's medical ninjutsu. She really has outdone herself. Finally, I opened my eyes, only to see Kakashi's chest in front of my face. My face was turning a new shade of red as I looked up and saw that he had even removed his mask to sleep. Our beds had been pushed together last night so we could sit next to each other and catch up, talk about what I missed while I was away. He told me everything, about Naruto, the other Genin, even Tsunade and Jiriyah. I looked at the shirtless Kakashi in front of me and saw all the scars left from previous missions. I just couldn't help myself, I began to lightly trace the scars all over his chest and some on his abdomen, his muscles would twitch and then I knew he was awake.

"How many missions have you nearly died from?" I whispered, not daring to look up, because I know I'd get stuck in his eyes.

"Too many to remember." He replied, just as softly, and I could tell he was looking down at me, watching me. The reason why I wasn't freaking the fuck out was because we had done this on missions we did together in the Black Ops, plus I lived with him every time I would come to the village. We're easy going around each other and we always have each others backs. You could say we fall into a routine that never went away. Finally, after running out of scars to trace I looked up and saw Kakashi's eyes on me and started going red and hid my face under his chin. His arms were around my waist and they slowly released me, he was slow because he didn't want to get up, it was the only problem when we would sleep in the same bed. Waiting a few moments for my redness to go down, I sat up and looked at Kakashi as he slid his shirt back on, placing his mask back over his face. I grinned,

"So, when did I fall asleep?" I asked, moving the covers and stretching, testing my muscles and tendons in my back. He sat on his side of the makeshift double bed and stared me down, I suddenly felt very self conscious. Looking away, I played with my hair, realizing that there was a dog in the mix of my hair and sheets.

"Sometime between two and three. I fell asleep not long after you did." He seemed to notice my fidgeting and chuckled, "I haven't seen you like that since we first joined the Anbu."

"Only because you would stare at me then too. That eye of yours is tricky." I stuck my tongue out at him and he appeared right in front of me,

"Stick it out again and I'll bite it off."

I turned bright red at the statement and shoved a pillow into his face, he started laughing to himself and moved to tickle me but ended up on top of me. The pillow landing just to the right of us, one of Kakashi's legs were in between my own. Silver strands of my hair lay everywhere, sprawled out, only one section was grouped together, and it was the section around Akamaru. My heart threatened to break out of my ribcage from how fast it was beating, I could feel my face heating up, my arms had fallen just beside my shoulders and head.

"Ka..ka...shi?" I breathed, we had frozen in place, both of us terrified of making a move without knowing what the other was thinking. I'm not sure what he was thinking, but... _I think I like him... _With that thought in my head, my heart beat faster, my pulse rushing through my veins, my head pounding, and my throat dried up immediately. I chewed on my lip, conflicted now. Kakashi is my life long friend, how do I respond to this? He slowly moved away from me, crawling back to his own bed, then helping me sit up on my own,

"Uh, sorry, Kas. I- uh..." He was so bashful,_ I've never seen him like this... Only with.. I couldn't... _My internal conflict showed on my face apparently because he moved his mask and kissed my forehead, leaning over ever so slightly. I began to blush again and he was his usual self as he continued to get dressed,

"I've been assigned to watch over you while you're recovering at the hospital."

"Damn it."

"Yeah, no escaping for you." He looked back at me and covered his Sharingan and I smiled, laughing. "Did you enjoy our talk last night?" I nodded and held my shins, rolling onto my side,

"Mhm, it was great getting to catch up again. Although waking up was an experience I forgot about." He stopped putting on his green jacket and looked at me,

"Well, we're gonna be here for a few days." I could feel my face heating up again,

"Plan on doing a redo?"

"Maybe."

I laughed and rolled onto my back looking up at the ceiling tiles,

"Going on a food run?" He chuckled and came over once more, pulling his mask and kissed my forehead,

"Don't worry, I'll be back."

"Who said I was worried?" He just laughed and jumped out through the window, his bed was made and put back just as someone walked in.

"Good morning, Miss Kasai! You slept in late, didn't you?" A brunette nurse walked in, it looked like she had a stick shoved up her ass the way she walked all stiffly in her uniform.

"Mhm." I replied, bored and going into my shell that I always go into when I'm alone,

"Mind if I check your vitals?"

"Go crazy." I stated, petting Akamaru and waiting for the smell of Kakashi to lessen in the room since the windows were open and the wind was rushing around on the second floor of the hospital. She stuck a needle in me to take a blood sample, I ignored the slight sting like a bee and continued to cuddle Akamaru. _Wonder what Kakashi's going to get us to eat... He does know how to cook, so he better bring good food._ Looking down at the soft pet, the nurse bandaged my arm and checked things off on a clipboard,

"Alright, there will be a nurse in by the evening time to do the same check ups. Have a nice day."

"Thanks." She left the room, "Akamaru, go back to Kiba. Tell him I'm fine." I kissed Akamaru's head before tossing him as he yapped and bolted out, excited to get back to his master, my hand sat beneath my chin, letting me lean on it as I remembered something,

_"Kasai Fujimoto?" I turned around to look at the man who had asked my name,_

_"Yes?" Being only four years old, I hadn't had much training. The man pulled out a kunai and readied to attack. I screamed bloody murder, but no one came to my aid, I knew no one would. My family were the ones who had hired this person. My parents even kept me in a separate part of the house to care for myself with a maid who did next to nothing. I was watering the plants when the man had approached me,_

_"Prepare to die." He stated, leaping at me,_

_"No!" I shrieked, the sound sending the man back in shockwaves, I stared at him in surprise, tears streaming down my cheeks. He began to get up and I dropped the watering can, it smashed into pieces as I began to cry. "Why? Why is it always me?" Dashing from the rooftop and trying to jump to the next, the man realized what I had planned and jumped up to go after me. I leapt, but I hadn't the training to make it all the way-_

_"Are you alright?" A soft voice asks me, and I look to see a kid, only about five years older than me carrying me bridal style. I looked confusingly from him to the rooftops above us,_

_"Huh? What? Who-"_

_"A friend. Our Hokage knows about your situation, so he sent a team out to get you." I heard explosions in the background and flinched, curling into the silver haired boy that had saved me, clinging to him for dear life. I didn't know how I knew to trust him, it was a feeling that me and my inner self agreed on. Only later I realized that my inner self was my tailed beast. Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I cried into him, feeling like I could show my fears to him. He held me tighter, this stranger, and growled under his breath. After a few minutes, we had reached a cabin in the woods where I would be held until the Hokage could figure out what to do with me and my situation,  
_

_"T-thank you!" I bowed my head, my hair just past my shoulders, I looked at the four man squad and saw one, the one who had carried me all the way here had gray hair like I did. His teammate was a brown haired girl with red rectangles tattooed onto her face, and the other one wore goggles and had black hair. The elder man had yellow hair, he smiled at me and bent down to my level, putting a hand on my head._

_"Just stay here until we come back for you, alright, Kasai?" I stiffened my lip and nodded,_

_"Okay!" I hadn't ever experienced a ninja fight, and the one with the grey hair had taken me away before I could have. But these were real ninjas, and I wanted to be just like them. The three of them smiled at me, the one in the middle with the goggles had his arms behind his head,_

_"Minato Sensei, can we go back to the village now?"_

_"Obito, be calm. We just took this girl from her home. Give her some time before we leave, okay?" He nodded and the girl walked over, holding a flower from one of my plants in a pot out to me,_

_"I managed to save this one, sorry if it's a little banged up." I smiled and hugged my potted plant, the only thing from my now previous life. I nodded, chewing on my lower lip to keep from crying again. I had to be strong, the girl hugged me tightly, "I'm sorry, Kasai. We'll be back before you know it, okay?" I nodded, watching them smile and wave at me as they left me alone, in a cabin, in the middle of the woods, only a mile away from my village. _

I never saw them again after that because that's when Orochimaru attacked my village and took twenty people of my clan hostage, including me. He was with the Akatsuki at the time so I was pulled into that mess somehow. There weren't many children left after Orochimaru massacred my village, so Pain and Konan had pity on me because they could relate to their whole village being destroyed. Looking out the window, I sighed.

"It's been a while since I remembered that memory..."

"Remembered what memory?" I jumped, throwing the thing closest to me at the person who owned the voice, which was a pillow. The person? Kakashi. The pillow hit him square in the head as he had poked it through the window, probably to see if I was decent. Then I remembered something-

"Where the hell are my clothes? Who put me in this friggin' hospital gown!?" I began to have a spaz attack as Kakashi calmly walked in and set down the food on another bed and walked over to me,

"Kas." That was all it took for me to look up at him, "Tsunade changed you, your clothes are in the drawer there. I also went out and..." his ears turned red, "I got you a new shirt that looked like the one before, that way you have something other than your ninja gear to wear..." I blinked, letting it sink in, _Kakashi... bought me clothes? _

"Did you use your own money?" I asked, he seemed to blink out of confusion then nodded slowly, not knowing where I was going with this conversation, "I owe you now." He hung his head and I bit my lip to keep from giggling,

"Kas... I got you out of that village, you're living with us now. That's payment enough, knowing you grew up to be such a great ninja." I swear he would've stuck his tongue out had he been more playful and didn't have that mask on all the time. Well, I shouldn't complain, I do that too. Annoys the hell out of Naruto for some reason. I looked over at the clothes he had set on the bedside table, I reached for the shirt and saw that it was the exact same style as the one I had worn while I left the village. Minus the music notes.

"So you do pay attention?" I teased, smiling at him. He rubbed the back of his head and his eye looked anywhere but at me,

"Well, you always wore this type of dress as a shirt... Even when we first met." Kakashi replied, pulling the curtain in front of him shut so I could change. When I didn't argue he released a breath I didn't notice he'd been holding, I smiled softly. _Thanks Kakashi..._ The material of the dress was sturdy but soft to the touch, it was a pale green- spring green I guess- and the sleeves had sections that were blocked off in a different color- light blue. The pants he got me were baggy, and it was safe to assume that these were a pair of his pants that he was letting me use. _He probably spent most of the money he saved up from previous missions on the groceries he just got, plus my shirt. He isn't used to feeding two. _I slid off the hospital gown and stretched in my chest bindings, my muscles sore from not being used and from excessive healing. I stretched like a dog would waking up from a nap then slid the material over my head, noticing that it hugged my torso just as well, if not better, than the previous one I had. _What a perv._ I smiled nonetheless, he was being helpful and I wouldn't accept this help from anyone else. A knock sounded at the door and I looked up,

"Yes?"

"Kasai, it's Sakura. I came by to drop off the brush then go on a mission." She reported, opening the door and walking over to my bed, "Can I open the curtains?"

"Yeah, I'm decent." I stated, sitting crosslegged in my dress, the dress that only came up to my thighs. I didn't like the feel of the dress, so I would always wear pants underneath. Even if they were just shorts. Sakura opened the curtain to my left instead of the one in front of me where Kakashi was hiding. He apparently didn't want Sakura to know he was here,

"Here it is. I hope your hair isn't too tangled already." She smiled, closing her emerald eyes as she did so, holding out the brush. I grabbed it and smiled back,

"Thanks, Sakura." I opened my eyes, "Hey... Didn't you say you understood how long hair got tangled so easily? What happened to yours? It looks a little uneven in the back..." She gasped and put one hand on the back of her head,

"No way, are you serious?" I laughed at her, _and Kakashi told me she's changed, how petty was she before? _I motioned for her to sit on my bed and she did as she was told,

"I'll even it out. Is that okay?" She nodded,

"Yeah, thanks, Kasai." I smiled at her and pulled out a Kunai, I sprayed her hair with a water bottle spray that had been put here to water the plants that people had left for me. I gently started cutting off the excess hair and thinned it out for her.

"How did it end up like this?" I wasn't able to see her face, so I didn't know what I had asked was bad,

"I cut my hair in the Chunin exams to protect Sasuke and Naruto..." My hand faltered, but I continued to force myself to move, _it isn't my business. _I finished just moments later,

"I'm sorry, Sakura." She turned to look at me,

"For what?"

"I can't help much with Sasuke... But it seems that you and Naruto are hell bent on finding him and bringing him home... So..." I bit my lip, it trembled slightly, I wasn't used to helping people much. I'd always been on my own after Kakashi saved me that one day. Minato as well.

"It's okay." I blinked, looking at her, "Sasuke chose to go, sure. But it was only because he wanted the power Orochimaru was offering..." I bowed my head, knowing how Sasuke felt, "What I don't understand is..." Her face was suddenly inches from mine as she glared up into my face, "Why...! Why does he keep in touch with you!?" I jolted back a bit from the force in her voice, I smiled at her, and I knew the smile was slightly sadistic.

"Would you like to know why Sasuke associates with me still?" She nodded vigorously, wanting the answer she didn't know would come. I chuckled softly at her then looked her in the eyes, "It's because I wanted to kill my family. My entire clan tried to assassinate me one night. Every. Single. One of them." Her emerald eyes seemed to widen in shock and she backed away slightly, "That's right. Everyone in my village, my clan, the people that were supposedly going to love me unconditionally. Love? I didn't know family love, not until a certain leaf team had come and rescued me the night they had hired their own Assassin from the land of waterfalls. He had green eyes just like yours. Kakuzu was his name. Later did I realize that he was in the Akatsuki. I was four years old at the time, I had learned enough to keep me alive, but my town kept me at armslength. They sent people to leave food and things at the door, my maid took care of me until I learned to take care of myself. I thought 'everyone's childhood is like this'." I shook my head with a smile I hadn't worn in a long time and lifted my hands up, "Eventually, after the Akatsuki eliminated my village in search for our Jinjuuriki, Orochimaru was coming to kill me next. I was hiding in a cabin in the woods near my village, I awoke hearing their screams. I didn't make a move to help them. What could a four year old do with little to no training?" Sakura seemed to grow grim upon hearing my story,

"I..." She tried to find the right words, I just sighed,

"There aren't any words. Don't worry. After Orochimaru found me, he was stopped by the leader of the Akatsuki," or the supposed leader anyways, "Pain and Konan. They were once Jiriyah's pupils during the great Ninja war. They knew how it was to have your entire village killed in one fair swoop. So they took me in, unaware that I was the Jinjuuriki they were looking for. The Akatsuki, all except Orochimaru, they were nice." Sakura grew surprised, listening intently to see if she had heard correctly, "That's right. They treated me as family, even Itachi. Sasori taught me how to master the puppet jutsu, Deidara taught me how to use detonating clay, Itachi my sharingan, Hidan taught me about all the different religions in the world. Pain and Konan taught me about the world. Kisame taught me how to use many different types of swords and fighting styles. Zetsu was always quite and watchful, he taught me how to fight with my inner conflicts and how to meditate. Kakuzu, the one who was told to assassinate me, he apologized and showed me how to be a proper bounty hunter. We went on countless missions together, Hidan, Kakuzu, and I. They told me to stay away from Orochimaru, who at the time had captured a number of my clan and did experiments on them for their Kekke Genkai, they were all unsuccessful." My eyes showed no emotion when I mentioned Orochimaru, Sakura looked at me the entire time, expecting me to break down, but I was tired of crying. I usually didn't do it, so it took so much out of me.

"How did you... end up with Orochimaru then?" Sakura dared to venture further, she wanted to understand me better, I guess. I looked down at her,

"He stole me from the Akatsuki the day he left the orginization. They fought him, it was the biggest fight I had ever seen. It could've been it's own little war. But in the end, somehow, Orochimaru got away from them. The stupid snake escaped from my family and took me along with him. He was going to do the same thing he wants to do to Sasuke to me. I wanted revenge on first, but who was there to take revenge on? I was angry after he took me from the Akatsuki, so I fought him every step of the way. I broke out countless times, but he always managed to find me. Once Kabuto joined us, I was constantly sedated so I couldn't move, but he'd feed me and I'd get a chance once in a while to bathe myself. Those are memories I choose not to reminisce on." I looked at her once more, she seemed to be crying for me.

"I'm sorry..." she whimpered, I sighed and hugged her, holding her to me while she cried for me.

"Sakura, you don't have to cry for me. I'm here now, aren't I? I'm still in once piece." I softly told her, rubbing her back, she was shaking. I was trying to comfort her, but she seemed to have been holding this in for quite some time, so instead of trying to comfort her... I just held her to me, letting her cry, she just clung to me as she cried. Eventually, I lifted her back up to a sitting position and wiped her eyes with my sleeves,

"Sakura, feel better?" I asked, looking her in the eyes, she smiled at me and I gave her the same smile back.

"Thank you."

"You seemed like you needed it. Now you said something about a mission earlier..?" She jolted up,

"Oh, crap!" She yelled, grabbing her bag and running out the door, "Thanks, Kasai!" I heard from the hallway as she ran off. Of the few people I ever tell my story to, a genin that would squeal like a pig if someone interrigated her knows it. _What was I thinking? _I shook my head and finished getting dressed,

"How did you deal with her?" I asked softly, binding my shins and ankles like I do everyday. There was a soft chuckle on the other side of the curtain in front of me,

"She surprises you. She's stronger than she looks. Both physically and emotionally." He explained, moving the curtain to bring me whatever he had cooked for lunch, I gladly accepted it and broke the chopsticks so I could eat. He sat down next to me and we looked out my window at the village.

"So, I'm home." I sighed, he looked at me and grinned, moving his mask so he could eat.

"I think Konoha has been waiting for you for quite some time, Kas." He stated, looking out to the Hokage Mountain faces. I noticed Minato's face and grinned,

"Minato was a great person."

"Even better Hokage."

"Would've probably been a better Father."

We both grew quite, thinking about different memories, we continued to eat. Eventually we started talking again, reminiscing about how we grew up. Talking about our times in the Black Ops. He had reheard my life's story when he was listening to Sakura. He lived most of it with me, visiting me when I could get a hold of him, he knew me better than anyone else ever could.

_I'm home, Minato Sensei. _

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**A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was my special gift to you guys. I wanted to do some Kakashi time since it's constantly hinted at that they've been together more than just once so I explained a bunch. This long chapter was a gift! Hope you loved it! Shout out to Waterwip65, Aoi Kitsune12, and xXToraChanXx for helping me work on future chapters ;)  
**

**Until next time!**

**-Kasai**


	12. Naruto's Goodbye

**A/N: I skipped a few episodes and went to the final episode/chapter of Naruto to where Naruto leaves with Jiraiya sensei. I really don't care if you're angry, I've written ten chapters about Kasai and her adventures XD so there's a poll on my page about if I should continue into Shippuden or not. I want to know what you guys think! It starts in the middle of the last episode of Naruto.**

**To the story! **

* * *

I squatted down on the ledge, grinning softly at the scene below me,

"Would ya look at that... We go to all the trouble of rushing to the rescue and it's all over." Kakashi whined, putting a hand on his hip as Jiraiya walked over, a grin on his face.

"Heh, it appears that Naruto's coming along pretty well. Not that he's not still an inexperienced knucklehead." I sighed, looking up at them,

"My, you are hard to please." Kakashi drawled, making me giggle slightly, covering my mouth.

"You know it." Jiraiya replied, making me go red in the face,

"Don't you two ever think about anything other than porn?" I asked, standing up and stretching with my arms above my head. The green and blue sleeves from the shirt Kakashi had bought me a few weeks back slid down my arms as I looked at them.

"It's not porn, it's called art." Jiraiya stated, pouting as he folded his arms, I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, then why were you quoting 'Make Out Paradise'?" They both looked at me surprised,

"You've read my books?" Jiraiya asked, amazed that he had female followers, I turned red and shoved Kakashi out of my way as I began to slide down the dirt cliff.

"Hey~! You guys okay?" I yelled, making Jiraiya and Kakashi dive for cover. Everyone turned to see who had come around, and so late.

"What the hell?! Why are you here?" Kankuro pointed at me and I jumped off the middle of the dirt cliff and landed in front of him with a smirk.

"I was sent with two others as reinforcements, but wouldn't you know as soon as we get here, it's over." I sighed, closing my eyes in complaint and cracking one open to see Shikamaru smirking,

"So, Lady Hokage was worried, huh?"

"More than you think. She sent Kakashi, Jiraiya and I."

"What? Pervy Sage?!" Naruto exclaimed, I knelt down next to Gaara and looked at Sakura,

"How is he?" I asked, surprising everyone by knowing Gaara. They all looked at me then Kankuro, then Temari, then Gaara who was passed out on the ground. Sakura told me that he was fine, just exhausted from overexhaustion of his chakra. I nodded, looking down at my long time friend, who didn't know what a friend was until he met Naruto. Temari knelt down next to me,

"Don't worry, Kas. He'll wake up soon and then we can all go home." I wrinkled my nose as the others were all watching me,

"I hope you get home safe." Sliding my hand off of Gaara's shoulder, I stood, looking at Matsuri, I smiled. She seemed taken back by the fact that a stranger would smile at her, "Thank you." I stated as I started backing away.

"W-what? Why?"

"Because, you gave Gaara a chance to prove to himself that he's becoming stronger than he was before." I replied, jumping back up to the cliff, "I'll see you guys at home!" I waved and ran to catch up with Jiraiya and Kakashi. _Gaara... I'm so proud of you... _I wiped the tears that threatened my eyes, running faster and faster until-

"Gah!" I ran smack into someone and tumbled to the ground with them. I was sitting on someone and I looked down to see Kakashi- instantly red. We had tumbled and I had ended up sitting on his stomach, my hands on either side of his head. Jiraiya smiled,

"That's good! Inspiration for my next book!" I bolted off of Kakashi and onto Jiraiya,

"You better not!" I yelled tackling him to the ground and wrestling his writing utensils off of him. He was pouting all the way back to the village. Kakashi stayed quiet, and on the other side of Jiraiya, not wanting to have a redo of that tumble I think.

* * *

Jiraiya sat on Naruto's hospital bed as I sat on Gaara's. He was awake of course, watching me.

"Hey, Gaara." I whisper, looking down at him with relieved eyes to see him awake. He looked up at me, slightly surprised that anyone was there at all. "I'm guessing you don't remember me?" We heard Naruto have a heart attack to Jiraiya sitting on his bed, I smiled, giggling quietly.

"I remember you... Barely..." Gaara whispered, I looked down at him, surprised, "You... visited when I was younger. You were the only one that would come near me willingly... Then you stopped visiting for a few years..." My heart was being tugged at because I felt awful not being able to visit Gaara once the Akatsuki had lost me in Orochimaru's clutches. I looked down, fiddling with my hands, "What are you thinking?" He asked, my eyes met his and suddenly he was unsure of himself, "I'm.. still not good at telling emotions.." I gave him a smile,

"I was... Unable to visit you for a few years because someone had me captive. What I'm thinking about.. Well I'm feeling bad because I hadn't been able to see my good friend." I put my hand on his, not thinking about who it was, he flinched, not expecting it. In turn I flinched as well. "Sorry..." I mumbled, rubbing my arm, it was awkward, I wasn't sure how to act around Gaara now because when he was a kid he was more outgoing and showed more emotions.

"I... I didn't expect it, is all." Turning to look at him, I saw something I never expected to see. Gaara was.. _blushing. _I blinked several times to make sure what I had seen was true, not a trick of the eye. Gaara had in fact blushed, he looked up at the door just seconds before Temari, Kankuro and Matsuri came in. Kankuro and Temari smiled, seeing me there with Gaara, Matsuri seemed a little concerned and... _is that Jealousy in her eyes? _I stood and bowed to them,

"It's nice to see you two again." I stated, being formal as Kankuro gripped me tight and pulled me into a hug,

"Whaddya mean it's nice to see us? Brat." He grumbled, hugging me tightly, Temari then did the same, pulling me from Kankuro's arms into hers.

"Where have you been the past five years?" Temari was near tears and I hugged her back tightly,

"I'm sorry. I've been... stuck somewhere where I couldn't get out. Only once a month, usually I had to sneak away. Even then I would be found in a matter of days." Temari pulled back and smiled at me as Matsuri was at Gaara's side,

"How do you feel, Gaara Sensei?" She asked, getting into his face. He wasn't sure how to respond so I pulled her back,

"Calm down, Matsuri." She glared at me, giving me the look I'd seen from home. I flinched back, my eyes suddenly hardening,

"Who are you to tell me to calm down? It's my fault!" She yelled, her eyes looking at me as if I was an intruder. I took a step back, flashes of my past going through my mind-

_"You're the monster! You killed your own brother!"_

_"Bitch, she couldn't even keep her mother alive. Ungrateful."_

The stares I got from them, they didn't make me angry, they made me fear myself. For the longest time I didn't have any mirrors because I'd only see what they saw- a monster.

"That's enough, Matsuri." Gaara had grabbed my hand, sitting up to do so. My eyes flashed to his and he seemed to be showing me kindness, unknowingly to me, my breathing had quickened into panting and Gaara pulled me over to him. He pulled me down so I was sitting next to him, "You are always welcome, Kasai." His gruff voice told me, and tears threatened my eyes. That girls' glare had done more to me than my own father beating me. I still have the scars on my back. Kankuro and Temari took Matsuri by the shoulders,

"We'll wait for you two outside, alright. We've got to leave soon." Temari smiled, shoving Matsuri out so Gaara could tell me what he wanted to say. Something put pressure on my hand and I turned to see Gaara holding it tightly,

"Who was it?" He asked, I immediately looked down, "It was my entire village. Even my siblings couldn't look at me anymore, back then anyways." Gaara talked, knowing he could bring me out of my shell once more like he used to do when we were kids. I did the same to him, smiling I replied:

"I'm the one who's supposed to be helping you, Gaara." I laughed, but it was more of a choked sound. He tugged on my hand once more, wanting a response to his question, "When I was born, I killed my mother. My village didn't let me forget it. Three years after I was born, I lost control for a few minutes and killed my brother." Tears threatened my eyes once more, but I didn't want to cry, I couldn't. "He was the only one who treated me like a normal person. He knew everything but he was the only person who would brighten my day by bringing me new toys or plants. His name was Orihamne, I called him Ori, or elder brother. He just called me 'little sis'. He always smiled around me, I was always happy with him. At least, the memories I have with him are happy ones. I was only three when it happened." A smile was on my face, but it wasn't real, it was a pained one. One I had learned to imitate when I was younger. Something pushed my chin towards Gaara, and I noticed it was his sand. "...Gaara?" Confused, I looked at him, and he seemed just as surprised to see his sand moving around on its own. The sand pushed me over to Gaara, making me sit right next to him on his bed, our hands still connected as we looked at each other, blushing. We were both speechless. We dare not move, because we didn't know what the sand would do next, plus because we were so close to each other we were unused to it. Gaara's breathing was regular, not like mine, which was stuttered, my heart mirroring my breathing. A few moments later, the sand disappeared, happy with its work and I was able to move away. But not before Gaara's arms found their way around my waist and his head found my shoulder.

"Gaara?" I asked, confused as to why he would try to hug me. He just hugged me tighter,

"I... I never understood emotions... But I missed you while you were gone..." He muttured against my shoulder, making me smile. He had seen Kankuro and Temari hug me like this, but he wanted to do the same. "This is what someone does when they haven't seen someone for a long time... right?" He wasn't sure if what he was doing was okay and I hugged him back just as hard to show him I had missed him too.

"Right."

* * *

"We owe ya one." Temari said, grinning at Shikamaru, who had escorted the sand ninja to the front gate of the Leaf village. I had followed Shikamaru and stood behind him with my arms behind my head, glancing over to the others and watching Gaara try to concentrate on Shikamaru instead of what I was doing. _He's kinda... adorable. _ Shikamaru chuckled,

"Aha, skip it. We're just returning the favor you guys did for us. Next time you'll owe us one." He explained, making Temari grin.

"Well at least this time you didn't get all choked up. That's an improvement." She teased, making Shikamaru retaliate,

"Sheesh, women. You always gatta get the last dig in." He sighed, turning his head to the side with his eyes closed in irritation. Gaara looked up at us,

"What about him?"

"Huh? Oh you mean Naruto." Shikamaru replied with a grin, "He leaves the village this morning to begin his training with Jiriaya." He explained, I folded my arms,

"The little crapper. He won't even say goodbye to anyone. He'll just sneak out of the village while everyone's busy." I closed my eyes, depressed that one of my best friends was leaving me for Kami knows how long.

"Jiraiya? One of the Sanin?" Kankuro asked, plainly amazed by the fact.

"Yeah," Shikamaru drawled, "It's gonna be such a drag. When he gets back he's gonna be stronger and more obnoxious than ever." He looked up as if wondering how Naruto will grow.

"Goodbye." Gaara said, giving us a proper farewell.

"See ya later." Temari said as well, they all turned away. I had the sudden urge to leave the village, why would I stay here? Naruto wanted to train with me at one point, but now he's leaving with Jiraiya.

"Yeah, see ya." Shikamaru responded, his hands in his pockets. Suddenly, Matsuri turned around and ran back to us,

"Hm?"

"Will you please tell Naruto something?"

"Huh?" Shikamaru blinked, looking at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Tell him, that thanks to him, I finally understand what Gaara was trying to tell me." She explained, only, it didn't help.

"Huh?" Shikamaru replied, even more confused than before.

"Thank him for teaching me the real value of effort and dedication." She smiled, bowed, and went on her way. He tilted his head in annoyance as he looked up,

"Terrific."

"What?"

"Another Naruto fan." I giggled at him, rolling my eyes.

"Jealous?"

"Of him? Nah."

"Right, you're too lazy for jealousy."

"Hey..."

"Hm?"

"Lady Hokage wanted to talk to you. It was actually before we were supposed to send them off." I glared at Shikamaru,

"Thanks for waiting until now to tell me!" I ran off, as fast as I could and appeared in the Hokage's office seconds after he told me. "Lady Tsunade?" I asked, she turned around in her desk and smiled at me.

"It seems we'll be loosing two of our finest ninja brats."

"Um... Who else is leaving?"

"You are."

"What?" I asked, dumbstruck.

"The sand council thought it would be wise for Gaara to have a Leaf body guard. Someone he's comfortable with. They remembered your name. Not to mention it'd be good for you to go into hiding while Naruto's away." I nodded,

"How long do I have, Milady?"

"Well, you were supposed to leave with Gaara and the others..."

"What?! I need to go get my stuff!" I yelled, dashing out of the office and to the apartment I'd been sharing with Kakashi for the past few weeks. Or was it a few months? I couldn't tell anymore. _Why is it always me? _I stuffed everything I owned into my knapsack, which wasn't too much. I looked at the picture of Kakashi's old team. _Minato... _

"So you're leaving too, huh?" I froze, then jumped, Kakashi appeared behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He leaned his chin in on the crook of my neck,

"I've been told that I'm Gaara's new body guard. Not like he needs one, but moving around helps keep me out of the Akatsuki's eyes." I sighed, putting the picture back in its place and snuggling into Kakashi's chest, wrapping my own arms around his.

"If it'll keep you safe, I see no reason to disagree." Kakashi stated, it was then that I realized his mask was off, he had been home when I had rushed in to gather my stuff, I didn't know.

"Aside from me leaving the village until Naruto comes back." I complained, I had just gotten used to calling this place my home, and now I have to leave again. Kakashi's hold on me tightened slightly and I blushed, feeling his breath on my neck. "Kakashi..." I complained, trying to squirm out of his reach, he just chuckled and held me tighter. Smiling, I knew I'd have to be the one to break the hug, Kakashi didn't want me leaving just as bad as I didn't want to go. "Kakashi... I need to go. I have to catch up to the others, now." He sighed, releasing my arms and tilted my head towards his,

"Stay safe, Kasai." He whispered, both his eyes were soft and uncovered as they bore into mine. I could feel my face heating up as he leaned in and kissed me, I had closed my eyes just a milisecond before our lips made contact, then my heart felt like it stopped. Kakashi pulled away and I was completely red,

"You're distracting..." I stated, red. He just smiled at me and nudged my shoulder,

"Shouldn't you be going somewhere?"

"Shit!" I hugged Kakashi once more, forgetting momentarily about the kiss as I rushed out of my old apartment and towards the front gate. I had to catch up to Gaara and the others.

_This is going to be an adventure of my own. I'll get stronger, just you wait, Naruto. _

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**A/N: I have a poll on my page, check it out please! It's asking weather or not you want me to continue into shipuuden :) and it will be continued onto this story :)  
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	13. Welcome Home

**A/N: Here's the deal. My last chapter was "Naruto's Goodbye" so I went ahead and traveled into Shipuuden. SO this chapter and the ones after are all Shipuuden now. For those of you who follow my story, please check the poll on my page, I won't continue after this until I get more than 5 votes -_- I get emails about people following my story and favoring it and stuff.  
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**Naruto's Return!**

I ran through Sunagakure, panting, I had just returned from a mission and had to give my report to the Kazekage. The Kazekage was one of my best friends, and I was excited to see him after a two week long mission. Running through the streets of Sunagakure made me smile, I had lived with Gaara and his siblings for the past two years, ever since Naruto left the village. Actually, I heard that he was supposed to return today, that's also what I wanted to tell Gaara. Panting, I jumped from the busy sandy streets and onto the rooftops, I figured Gaara would be outside standing on his balcony. My thoughts were correct when I saw a red headed figure on the balcony of the Kazekage's mansion.

"Gaara~!" I yelled, cupping my hands around my mouth to make myself louder. He looked my direction and put a hand up, shaking it slightly, giving me a sort of wave. He was getting better at showing emotions since I've started staying here. Mainly because I visited when we were kids, before I got kidnapped that is. I stayed with Gaara for a few days when we were kids, I wish I could've stayed longer then he wouldn't have become the weapon of the village hidden in the sand. But then he would never have met Naruto. A grin spread across my lips, _I wonder how those Leaf ninja are doing without me. _I reached Gaara's mansion in a matter of seconds and landed on the railing in front of him,

"Hiya, Kazekage, sir." I smiled, he seemed taken back by how close I got to him, but he handled it because I'd always hug him randomly as well. A slow blush creeped across his face and he seemed confused as to what it was. "You're blushing, Gaara. I'm sure you've at least heard Temari teasing Kankuro about it when I'm around." I informed him, he turned even more red at being caught as I sat on the railing.

"Welcome back, Kasai. Was the mission a success?" He questioned, getting down to business, I rolled my eyes,

"Please, you sent me. Of course it was a success. Those ninja gangs won't be bothering those towns anymore." I grinned at him, "Whole East side is clear." He looked at me with slight surprise,

"In only two weeks?" He asked in a tone that told me he didn't believe me,

"You doubt me, carrot top?" I teased him, "Maybe I should call you tomato face..." I said thoughtfully and it was his turn to roll his eyes. "How are Kankuro and Temari? I heard the Chunin exams are starting soon." Gaara gave me a slight smile,

"You're always so nosy, aren't you?"

"Hey! I am not!" I folded my arms and he gave a sound that sounded like... a chuckle. _Did he just laugh at me? _"Hey, just because I can get you to be emotional doesn't mean you can laugh at me you know." I puffed out my cheeks and he seemed to cover his mouth and start coughing instead of laughing. Smiling, I couldn't help but laugh, "You never answered my question, and if I'm nosy, blame the leaf ninja. They were nosy while I was there." He grinned at me and it always looked weird when he smiled, but at least the smile was natural and genuine for him.

"Temari is somewhat of a messenger between the leaf and the sand, she's been going from village to village setting up the Chunin exams with the one called Shikamaru as her escort. She says she enjoys dragging him around everywhere." Gaara didn't seem to understand but I laughed,

"Temari likes him. She teases him all the time. Shikamaru is a fun one to get into a debate with." I explained, remembering the first time I met him in Tsunade's office, I turned slightly red in the face. _Ugh, that perv!_ I shook my head and my braid whipped around like a lethal weapon, Gaara backed up slightly, not wanting to be thwacked by it. I had used it like a rope on a number of occasions with him. I laughed at his expression,

"Kankuro is currently somewhere in the village or with the council discussing things before the meeting begins." He told me, I gave a yawn and once again he looked at me confused.

"I'm okay," slight pause, "Oh!" I clapped my hands together, Gaara seemed to blink as a reaction instead of jumping like anyone else would. He looked at me with his light green-blue eyes, "Naruto is coming back to the village today. He's been gone for two and a half years." Gaara seemed to get excited, if that was possible for Gaara, he grinned lightly and looked back out over the village. "I wonder how he'll react."

"Hm?"

"To you becoming Kazekage. He was always telling everyone how he wanted to become Hokage. I think you beat him to it." I was grinning hugely and brightly as someone walked out the door,

"Lord Kazekage, the meeting is about to begin." A man reported, bowing his head, I looked back at him then at Gaara. Gaara had turned his head slightly to look at the man,

"Alright. I'll be there soon." He stated, looking at me. I shook my head and rolled my eyes,

"Go, Gaara. It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon. Not unless you assign me another two week mission. Are you trying to get rid of me?" I teased, he sighed, finally tired of emotions and I ruffled his hair. His expression turned from one of tired to one of shock, being touched was something that no one had dared to do, even with Gaara being extrememly nice. He just wasn't used to smiling and showing others emotion. He began with me and he's slowly showing more emotion to Kankuro and Temari, his siblings. Grinning, I told him to go to his meeting and he gave a small smile once more and departed for it, I sighed, closing my eyes as I began to hum a melody. _I wonder when Kankuro will get back, I absolutely love teasing the hell outta him. _I started to hum a song,

**"Clouds roll in, both red and black, Chaos and torment lay waste to the cat, But the cat has nine to bring it back, Ten pieces fit the puzzle, order is the key, nations lay waste all starting with one, clouds roll in, a new war has begun." **I couldn't quite remember where I had heard this creepy song before, but I sang it in a creepy tune and closed my eyes. Both the image and the meaning eluded me but bugged me in the back of my brain. I suddenly remembered where it had come from, there was a girl I had met on this mission, her name was Nizumi,

_Running through the mist of the Hidden Valley's village, there was a problem, it was way too quiet. Not a sound could be heard, even on the wind. The smell of burning flesh hit my nose and I had to cover it to keep from gaging. An image of a burning body flashed through my head, and I immediately felt a pull coming from the area of the scent. I didn't know why, but I felt like someone needed my help, little did I know that she'd end up helping me. My feet hit the ground quickly and quietly as I flew across one of the many streams in the land of rivers. A low mummur hit my ears and I quickly changed my positions from offensive to defensive as I leapt into the surrounding trees and listened._

_"Clouds roll in, both red and black, Chaos and torment lay waste to the cat, But the cat has nine to bring it back, Ten pieces fit the puzzle, order is the key, nations lay waste all starting with one, clouds roll in, a new war has begun." It was a girls voice, from the sound of it, a year or two younger than I am. She sang it in a soft tune, repeatedly, as if she was thinking about its meaning. Slowly I began to move a branch out of my line of sight so I could peer down at the girl, standing over a burning body. _A burning body? Is that someone she knows? Or did she do this? _Suddenly, she looked up in my direction and something pulled me down from the tree,_

_"Tch!" I hit the ground with a big thud and looked up at the person who had, somehow, knocked me out of the tree._

_"Die!" She yelled as purple chains came out of her hands and towards me at an alarming speed, I barely had time to dodge back. Her aim was off and her hair desheveled, even in the long braid that it was in. Her eyes were red and puffy as if she'd been crying,_

_"Wait, I don't want to hurt you!" I exclaimed, easily dodging another attack. She called back her chains and looked at me grimly,_

_"Who are you?" She demanded, glaring at me,_

_"Why should I tell you? You just tried to kill me!" I spat back, going into a defensive position that could easily switch into offensive. She caught me glancing at the burning pile of flesh and moved to distort my view of it. My eyes flickered to her, and making three easy hand signs,_

_"Metal Forging Jutsu!" I went ahead and mimicked her chains coming out of the ground they encircling her form and clamping tightly on her. She struggled, thrashing about wildly and her eyes flashed purple, something glowing underneath her top. If I hadn't been a ninja I would've missed the flash of purple. _Is that... a seal? _My eyes flashed to her,_

_"Are you a Jinjuuriki?" As soon as the words had left my mouth, she began thrashing around even more wildly than before, screaming,_

_"Are you with the Akatsuki!?" Her bright blue eyes narrowed at me, they didn't look like the sky blue, they looked like ice the way they glared at me. Regardless, I was used to that stare,_

_"No, I-"_

_"Then how did you know?" She inturrupted, making me strain to keep the chains on her, if she's a true Jinjuuriki these chains won't hold her long._

_"Please, just let me talk!" My expression was one of understanding, "I know what it's like to hide your whole life." She seemed to calm down after that statement, curious as to why I haven't killed her yet. My hand shoved the bangs on my forhead up, making them stick in wayward directions as I showed her the blue seal in the middle of my forehead, just beneath the hairline. "I'm a Jinjuuriki too." Her expression seemed to be surprise, then understanding as she sagged underneath my chains. I released the Jutsu and walked to her,_

_"Who's the burning man, and why are you on the run?" I questioned, kneeling down next to her. She seemed to be... shaking. Jinjuuriki's are strong, they've been alone most of their lives so showing fear wasn't something we did easily. Her blue gaze reached mine as she stood, I stood with her,_

_"I'll tell you why..." _

The sun had set a while back, I hadn't noticed because spacing out did that to a person. I shuddered at the cool desert air, my hair had grown longer so I'd need a cut soon. Sitting on the railing, I looked out over the village hidden in the sand. I felt as though it were a new home, one I've stayed with for nearly three years, and multiple times while growing up. I was a sand shinobi now, Gaara named me a Sand Jounin without going through the academy or the chunin exams because the council agreed it'd be a good idea to have someone who nearly reached Sanin rank to be one of Gaara's body guards. Someone who could stop him if he lost control, obviously, not someone like me. I couldn't kill Gaara even if he was the one to destroy me. _Oh, Haku, Zabuza, I hope you're in heavon together once more. _I looked skyward, the stars twinkling brightly in the night sky. Someone slid their jacket around me and I jumped,

"Shouldn't you be inside?" A snide voice asked as Kankuro appeared in my line of vision, leaning his back against the railing, his brown eyes looking at me. I wrapped the jacket around me tightly,

"Nah, too stuffy inside."

"You're just getting antsy about staying in one place for nearly three years." He complained, cracking one eye open at me with a grin. I punched him playfully in the shoulder, he rubbed it, "Hey, don't hit the merchendise." He complained again and I rolled my eyes.

"I guess your face would be your best feature." I replied nonchalantly, he winced,

"Ouch. Okay, you win that one, but you're still little, sis." He grabbed my head, shoving me under his armpit and gave me a noogie.

"Gaaah, Kankuro! Stop!" I whined, squirming around and trying to get away from him. He laughed and then looked up,

"Hey, Gaara, how'd the meeting go?" He stood a little straighter out of habit, but also out of respect for his brother. Gaara seemed exhausted and shrugged his shoulders, looking at me,

"You should get some sleep. I have a feeling that tomorrow's going to be a long day." I nodded and handed Kankuro his jacket back and ran to Gaara, going into his arms and warming myself up. He was surprised as always that I dared to do this since no one else would. It doesn't help that I'm not around when he's with other people. He usually sends me on tons of missions he knows I can get done with quickly, plus Kankuro sometimes come. Kankuro's a perv. Never go to a hot springs with him. Gaara akwardly wrapped his arms around, understanding for once that I was cold, understanding why I do things is kind of hard for him. It's usually hard for everybody. Kankuro grinned softly, admiring how Gaara has finally started physical contact with someone, even if he didn't share with him or Temari, Kankuro was glad he was sharing with someone. Gaara stepped back, holding the door open,

"After you." He stated in his gruff voice, a slight blush across his features, Kankuro went in before me showing a surprised expression to where only I could see it. I giggled quietly and winked at him, _a girl has her secrets, ya know? _He just shook his head and walked towards his room, which was next to Temari's down the West wing of the Kazekage's mansion. Gaara and I walked in and began to go to the East side of the mansion, that's where our rooms reside. We walked down the halls, talking, and Gaara asked me something I didn't expect,

"How did you meet Uzumaki?" I stopped out of sheer surprise, shaking my head I continued to walk with him,

"Naruto? Let's see... I used to move around a lot, I lived on the road. I'd take jobs wherever I could get them," I gave a kind smile and he returned it softly, "I was on my way here, actually, when I ran into Naruto, Sakura, Neji, and Kakashi. They were on their way back from a mission and Naruto had seen me just hide so he threw a kunai at me, thinking I was a ninja that was going to attack them." I shook my head, laughing, Gaara looked at me, not understanding.

"That's... funny?" He questioned, not completely understanding, I giggled at him and said no.

"What's funny about it is that's how I met Naruto. I thought he was an idiotic ninja that shouldn't have made it out of the academy." Gaara gave me a look that said he thought the exact same thing at one point, but then his features softened, "He changed your point of view too, didn't he?" I asked, watching him. He nodded,

"After I fought Uzamaki. I wanted to become like him, become precious to someone. So I strived to become known by others, it's been hard, but I... Well." I nudged him, smiling,

"You are precious to someone. You're precious to me, Kankuro, Temari, the village. Everyone in this village will protect you even if you don't need it." I explained to him, he had begun stuttering when he talked about Uzamaki, he wasn't sure how to express what he wanted to say. He's gotten better at it in the two years I've been here, it's surprising, really. He looked at me with a smile that even I hadn't seen, _Gaara... You've grown so much... _It was a happy smile that showed everything, he wanted me to see it for some reason, and I felt honored. But it was only for a fleeting second, his smile had disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. I was dumbstruck for a few seconds before realizing we had reached our bedrooms. Standing outside my door, it felt weird, I didn't recognize this feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. I could only compare it to when Kakashi and I were together, but even then it was more of a natural feeling.

"You should get some sleep." Gaara stated, bringing me out of my thoughts, I looked up at him and smiled, he returned it with a small smile, "Thank you." He walked to his bedroom door, which was not that far away from mine, it took me a second before I realized that he had thanked me. Halfway into my own room, I stuck my head back out into the hallway only to see Gaara's door was closed. _What did he thank me for? _Instead of my bed, the balcony seemed to be the best place to be. Sliding the door open quietly, I walked out and leaned on the railing that was freezing cold now. The days are extremely hot, and the nights are freezing cold. I went back inside to change into my night clothes, I know ninjas usually don't have those because they need to be ready for battle on a dime, but I like my night clothes, so shove it. Putting on the shirt that Kakashi bought for me so long ago, it's a little shorter than it used to be, but I have grown, I slid on some pajama pants that I 'borrowed' from Kankuro. Sliding back out through the door I sat on the railing, liking the thrill of the possible fall that came with balancing on these railings. Our rooms were in the very top of the mansion. Looking out over the Sand Village, my thoughts began to roam to the Leaf. _I wonder how Naruto's doing on his first night back home. _

**Third Person's POV**

Sakura and Naruto sat behind a giant tree trunk, catching their breaths. Sakura was looking at the ground, panting, while Naruto kept watch on the right side of the tree.

"I knew it would still be hard, but that sharingan sure is something... Plus Sensei's sighn-weaving speed... He's so fast you can't keep up..." Sakura complained, still huffing, "His arms... We've got to disable them somehow... Tie them up..." She tossed out ideas, hoping Naruto would have something.

"Yeah... Kakashi Sensei's as super strong as ever." He complimented his sensei, "Smarter than Shikamaru... Keener sense of smell than Kiba... More adept at sharingan than Sasuke... and his taijutsu's greater than bushy brows..." He was breathing heavily at well, having to figh off his sensei in order to gain those bells around his waist. Sakura looked at him with a smile,

"But he's got to have _some _weakness...!" Sakura sighed and breathed in slowly once more, "C'mon, think!" Naruto put his hand to his chin in thought, making an expression that others would've laughed about in any other case.

_Phew... can't believe I've had to use my sharingan this much... Its biggest disadvantage is how quickly it drains my stamina... But I should be able to hold them off until sunrise..._ Kakashi thought to himself, sweat rolling from his hair down his face and head. He kept his sharingan eye open as lookout during the nice cool night.

"Okay now let's really think. He's got to have _some _weakness." Sakura stated, thinking.

"And we only have 'till sunrise, right?" Nizumi asked, popping a food pill into her mouth, crunching down on it. Naruto nodded, answering my question and thinking at the same time.

"Wait! I've got it." Naruto exclaimed, smiling goofily.

"What?" Naruto started giggling,

"Come on, Sakura, just think. It's so obvious."

"Well I can't so you'll just have to tell me." Sakura replied, irritated that Naruto wouldn't share. _I'm curious to see what could be a powerful ninjas downfall. If it's so obvious that Naruto could see it. _Nizumi thought to herself, listening intently. Naruto smiled, looking from Sakura to Nizumi,

"He hasn't read all of the make-out tactics book yet. So if I try to ruin the end of the book..."

"Then he'll have to cover his ears!" Sakura exclaimed, piecing together Naruto's plan.

"Not to mention his sharingan can read movements so he'll have to close his eyes." Nizumi added mater-of-factly. Naruto grinned, basking in the glory that was his idea, then looked at his chakra molding friend.

"Do you know where he is, Nizumi?" She crossed her arms and gave Naruto a smirk,

"Please, he never left my sight."

"Then what are we sitting around looking at each other for?" The three of them stood, Nizumi an unknown addition to the fight that Kakashi had entered a few hours before dusk. They dashed across the forest based training area, the area where Sakura and Naruto had their first training exercise as team 7. By the time they came around to Kakashi, he was leaning against a tree, thinking. Naruto and Sakura circled around front where as Nizume went around back, covered in mud to hide her smell. Nizumi used her chakra molding jutsu, one that only she could use, and created chains out of her chakra, making them shoot out of the tree and wrap around Kakashi's torso.

"Now, Naruto!" Sakura yelled as they appeared in front of Kakashi.

"Here I go! Hey, Kakashi Sensei! Make out tactics final plot twist! The main character is really-!" Kakashi gasped, _W-what!? N-no! _He thought, covering his ears in order to ignore what Naruto was about to reveal. He realized that his sharingan could read his lips and clamped his eye shut- _Gah, because of the sharingan I can still read his lips! _Suddenly, there was a jingle,

"Huh?" Kakashi turned around and looked at them, Naruto was smiling, holding a bell, Sakura had stuck her tongue out holding two fingers up.

"Shinobi should read the hidden meanings behind the hidden meanings." Naruto chuckled,

"Remember, Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura teased, Kakashi put a hand behind his head, exhausted,

"I deserved that." They all laughed until Naruto stopped,

"Oh, yeah. Hey, Nizumi! Come meet Kakashi Sensei!" Nizume rounded the tree and stood next to Naruto. Kakashi looked at her, then at Naruto and Sakura with tired eyes,

"Had to pull a fast one on me, huh?" He pulled his headband back over its designated place, over his left eye.

"Sometimes there are more players on the field then you think, and the only reason why you couldn't sense her was because she had covered herself in mud." Sakura explained, giggling with excitement.

"We can talk on the way back to the village."

"Great! Let me go get my jacket." Nizume said, running to the boulder she had put her jacket under earlier. Kakashi turned to Naruto and Sakura, "You two go on ahead, we'll catch up."

"Got it." Nizumi had heard Kakashi say that, turning she stopped and waited for him to walk over to her. He did exactly that and put his hands in his pants pockets.

"You're from the land hidden in the waves, right?" Nizumi looked down, her eyes seeming to replay events that she kept hidden from others,

"Yes, but that village was destroyed."

"I know, Master Jiraiyah told me what happened." Nizumi narrowed her eyes,

"What else did he tell you?"

"The fact that you're a Jinjuuriki like Naruto. But with the zero tails and the fact that he repaired your seal about twenty-four hours ago."

"Okay, so he _has_ told you everything." _Great, does the entire Leaf village know who I am? _Nizumi thought to herself, irritated that her information would just be given out like that. She picked up the rock and wrapped her jacket around her waist so it wouldn't get anymore dirty than it already has.

"Before we head back, how about a little sparring?" Kakashi asked, smiling at her. She tried to read his meaning behind it and shrugged.

"Okay."

**Kasai's POV**

I was sitting in my usual spot on the giant balcony outside the meeting room, Gaara standing next to me, both of us looking out over the village. A man appeared, kneeling before Gaara,

"Lord Kazekage..." I lifted my head up and turned to look at him, "Milady, it is time." We had been summoned, usually it's only Gaara, but I had been as well. Apparently this concerns both of us. We looked at each other and nodded,

"Very well." Gaara replied, holding a hand up so I could use it to hop down off the railing. I took his hand, entwining our fingers and gave him a smile, he returned it once the man had turned around. We walked back inside and into the meeting room. Gaara sat at the round table and I stood behind him, unsure if I was to sit or not. Within a few minutes, the table was filled with the men of the council, it still irritated me that women weren't allowed on it. I kept a straight face and had my arms folded,

"Over the past few years, this village's power has stabalized... and our relationships with other ally nations' shinobi villages have flourished." A man had talked, this was the fourth thing that was brought to Gaara's attention as Kazekage. He never sleeps because of his demon, Gaara refuses to let it out because he doesn't want to hurt those around him anymore. "We have seen great success in recruit development since we incorporated Konoha's training programs into our curriculum."

"The Chunin exam is appreaching. I look forward to its results." Said another,

"However... again, at this juncture... unsavory rumors abound..." Yura brought the topic up of the Akatsuki,

"Such as?" Temari's old team sesei questioned.

"This is from Lord Jiraiya, one of the legendary great shinobi... but have you ever heard of an organization called 'the akatsuki'?" My eyes flickered for a moment but went back to the expression that Gaara usually wore. Yura continued with the rumors and I could feel my heart racing, _they're coming after us? The tailed beasts? Why... I don't remember any- _I gripped my head in pain, trying to remember anything about collecting the tailed beasts hurt.

"Kasai, are you alright?" Gaara looked up at me, worry in his eyes only, the others had stood up out of their seats, I panted lightly and put a hand up.

"I'm fine. Just a major headache. It should disappear soon." I reassured them, using Gaara's chair for support ever so slightly. _What in Kami's name was that? I think I might have a seal on my memories... _Soon after, the meeting ended.

"Well... That concludes our council."

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**A/N: Well, how do you like that? :D Feel free to review! I mean seriously 0_0 I'm watching you people! Review dammit! Even if it isn't in english! XD  
**

**Until Next Time!**

**-Kasai**


	14. The Sand Strike Back

Standing with Gaara in his office, looking out his window as he went through paperwork and assigning missions to various teams. The day had been long and the meeting had taken most of the morning into the afternoon. Now our day was filled with usual Kazekage stuff, along with worrying about the Akatsuki. _I wonder who will come after Gaara... _I knew all the Akatsuki members too well, I should've guessed who was coming. I wasn't enough to stop them though.

"Hm?" I blinked, seeing three white poofs at random locations in the village. Gaara noticed my reaction and looked up at me,

"What is it?" He questioned, turning his chair to look outside as well. Most of the teams had been assigned and were now on their way out or on the border.

"I thought I saw something..." I stated, peering more out of the window, Gaara looked out the one closest to him and stared out. _Something is about to happen... I don't like this eerie feeling. _"I'm going on the balcony." I ran out of the office, Gaara flanking me in the same worry that something was coming into his village. We were right. Three booms went off, quiet ones, but we could hear them all the same. Gaara and I were on the balcony as a big white bird tossed its rider off and flew around as a blond in a black and red cloak landed. _Deidara... _

"And now I'm in... Hn." He looked up from where he landed and saw Gaara and I with our arms folded.

"Not quite."

"Woah..." He stated, surprised that someone had caught him infiltrating the village. Gaara's sand snuck up on Dei's right flank, unfortunately, he saw it in time and leapt back onto his bird. Gaara thrusted out his arm and the sand ran after him,

"Gaara, he's a long range fighter that uses detonating clay, he's one of the Akatsuki. Be careful." He turned his head just enough for me to see the smirk that splayed across his face,

"You worry too much." He leapt onto his sand, following Deidara into the skies,

"Gaara!? Where do you think you're going without me?" He looked back, shaking his head,

"You stay there."

"Like hell I will!" I flitted through handsigns, "Metal creation jutsu!" I summoned metal to my will with a mixture of my earth and fire chakra. I jumped off the terrist and landed on a piece of metal too thin for the human eye to catch unless you were looking for it. I jumped on one after the other, following my Kazekage and best friend up into the skies to fight one of the many who had raised me.

"But how did you know, hmm?" Deidara asked in that annoying know-it-all voice. I landed next to Gaara on his sand and he put his hand to his face in an expression of exhaustion, he was tired of my attitude already. He looked up at Deidara,

"There are no such birds in this desert." He replied, I spit out the detonating clay I had put into my mouth earlier and molded it into a quick bird. I tossed it into the air and made a smiliar handsign to Deidara's and the bird flew quickly towards him, his giant bird manuevered well to avoid my bird. But it hit its target, hitting the bird in the tail, Dei quickly had his hands spit out more detonating clay and molded it back onto the bird so they wouldn't fall out of the sky. While he was distracted by that, Gaara had his sand sneak up on him, clipping his cheek, Deidara barely had time to dodge.

"So, the operation failed, hn?" he looked at me, surprised, "So you can use detonating clay too, hn? I guess Sasori, my man, was correct in repremanding me for not being more prepared... Ah, well. I'll just have to be quick, hn." He smirked, giving me a look that said he was getting nothing but pure joy out of this.

"Deidara, you're going to die before I let you take him!" Using my metal creation jutsu, I leapt away from the safety of Gaara's sand and he lifted up his arms, making the desert sand do his bidding in a tsuname type way as it backed me up. Deidara flew away, evading the sand, it was slower than the sand in Gaara's gourd. I flipped up over the sand and rode it for a few moments before seeing explosives fly out of his hands,

"Gaara!" I called back, I didn't have to look to know he was being wary of his surroundings, keeping a close eye on anything that moves out of the ordinary. Again, flipping off of the sand and onto the bird, I barely caught the tip of one of the wings, making the bird go to the left since it couldn't move its wing. All the sand Gaara had collected from the desert into the Shikaku's arm, going after Deidara, I tried to slow him down by chewing on some of the detonating clay that was part of the bird.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing, hn?" He yelled, kicking my face, I took the kick full force and twisted, thrusting myself onto the back of the bird as Deidara put his hands into his pockets full of detonating clay. Gaara molded three Shikaku hands out of the sand he grabbed from the desert, Deidara was flitting about dodging and trying to shake me off of his bird. Suddenly, he whipped around and tossed two birds in Gaara's direction, I gasped, _those are quicker than his sand! _Unfortunately, I was too distracted so Deidara's foot connected with my chin once more, making me fly off the bird.

"Shit!" I saw Gaara look at me with some alarm, "Focus on the exploding birds coming your direction!" I shouted, "I'll be fine!" I reassured him, using my justsu once more to catch myself. A thin sheet of metal lay beneath my feet and I controlled it like Deidara controlled his bird, Gaara nodded and manuevered his sand around to protect himself. Unfortunately, the birds got past the big defenses and headed towards Gaara himself, luckily his sand from the gourd made it to him first. I sighed in relief as I watched Dei travel around, circling and watching- we both waited until the smoke cleared from the explosions and saw Gaara in his little sand barrier of a ball.

"Like a protective eggshell." Deidara commented, watching Gaara intently. I stayed where I was because Gaara's sand began to envelope Deidara,

"Sabakuro Sand Prison!" The sand began to close around Deidara as he flit about inside the giant sphere that was being created. Gaara's third eye was above his own sphere of sand, I grinned, _did we get him? _Gaara opened his protective circle and dissipated his third eye, the sand from his barrier going somewhere, I saw Deidara fly out of the giant sphere that was supposed to keep him imprisoned. _How did he..? _Gaara's sand flew after him, twining onto Deidara's arm, I couldn't watch what happened next, but I knew. "Sand Coffin!"

* * *

Deidara's arm got crushed, completely obliterated it from the shoulder down. He made a handsign with his other arm and threw out an owl,_ poof._ His owl became bigger and he rode it like the one before, I sighed, irritated that he got away. I made a few handsigns,

"Metal Creation Jutsu." A pike came out of the disks I had used earlier to walk around up in the sky and others made a bee line for Deidara. I began to run across them, the ones I pass flying around me to be in front again. Gaara was barely surprised that he got out of his trap and I was going to throw a pike at him that I could control with my chakra. Deidara ripped his arm out of the sand, completely losing it now. I threw my pike at him, aiming directly for the bird, _three seconds... two seconds... one-_

"Gah!" Deidara held his shoulder as the pike went through it, it was the same arm that he had just ripped out to get away from the sand. He flew away some and stuck his hand into one of his pockets, pulling something big out. _Is that... Ohako?_ I turned to look at Gaara,

"Gaara! That's-"** Boom!** An explosion had gone and hit the metal that was under my feet, causing me to fall down, _shit!_ I looked up to see the doll become a giant masterpiece, in Deidara's words.

"It's distasteful to be attacked from below, hmmm? And I'm tired of seeing your expressionless face!" Deidara exclaimed, thrusting the giant doll towards the village. Gaara's eyes widened with fear and I put my hands together,

"Kagebunshin Jutsu!" I created shadow clones that would pull me up higher and higher then disappear as I slowly climbed up I heard-

"Not good! Run!"

"Too late!"

Explosion. My body was thrusted through the air from the force of the explosion, causing me to slam into Gaara's protective sphere. When his sand hardens, it's the toughest barrier in the world to break. My body just slammed into that. I felt a few things crack and pop as the sand suddenly loosened and let my body in,

"Kasai!" Gaara exclaimed, more emotion in his voice than usual,

"You're within range, hn."

"Gaara!" I called, sputtering blood as an explosion went off. I was suddenly brought into a dark hole, cradled by someone. I opened my eyes to see Gaara, panting above me. _Gaara is... holding me?_ I sat up, but only seconds after the second explosion had gone off, we both saw small centipedes crawling through the sand. "Gaara!" I called out to him again, kicking my legs out from his arm and against the sand, throwing my body over his to protect him from the oncoming blast. All I saw was red, and there was an immense pain in my back and suddenly I was reminded about the time I left the Leaf almost three years ago. The sand began to dissipate as Gaara had been nearly knocked out from the blast, how I was still concious, I wasn't so sure. My eyes were barely open as I caught the fact that Gaara was putting the sand shield from Ohako's blast back into the desert, his sand also went with me to put me down where we had noticed Kankuro standing earlier.

"Ga...Gaara..." I barely managed, breathing hurt because it felt like my ribcage had caved in. Two arms encircled me and the sand was released,

"Ho ho... Leave it to you, Kazekage... Using the last of your strength to return the sand outside the village... When it'd be so much easier just to dump it on 'em. And letting the girl down, too? Hn..." Deidara flaunted about beating Gaara, I hadn't been much help, _Gaara, I have to go... help him..._ I fought the darkness that bade me to enter it.

"Gaara!" Kankuro's pained voice reached my ears and my eyes suddenly snapped open and I saw Kankuro hand me off to someone else as he took off. I stood, surpressing the pain behind the sole fact that I could've done better. Baki immediately took action as he yelled at the others, forgetting about me. Good. I ran off after Kankuro, a tracking unit following close behind as we all ran for the Kazekage. We watched as they calmly left the village, thinking they were done. Kankuro ran through the big gap that was the Hidden Sands' entrance and I could see him pause. A medical ninja was at my flank, telling me to slow down because I was wounded,

"The hell I will!" I winced, stumbling slightly but pushed forward, "Kazekage-sama is in trouble, I will not stand by and heal while he is in the Akatsuki's grasp!" I shoved against the rooftop and flew forward, leaning forward so I would land in a squat and I flipped shoving off of my hands back into the air as I leapt after Gaara. My back was already feeling better, but not as well as it was about an hour ago, but nonetheless I ran. The team with me ran ahead as we saw Kankuro take off once more,

"What happened here?" One asked, checking all the wounded, hoping they were only wounded.

"Over here, one's alive!"

"Be careful-" Boom! I barely had enough time to save the team I had come in with as the walls had come tumbling down. I sent out shadow clones to gather up the team before the rocks could hit us, extra shadow clones knocking the rocks away as the copies of me raced back into the village with the wounded and dead. Baki was there,

"What happened?" Medical ninjas were spread around behind me, racing to the people my clones had, they began to poof away one by one.

"There was a trap set for us, they obviously didn't want to be followed, Baki." I grimly looked up at him and fell to my knees from the pain of my back injury. Taking a blast full force to your back from a bomb tears it up.

"Kasai!" Baki's voice was the last thing I heard as I let myself slip into a deep sleep.


	15. Kazekage Stands Tall

**A/N: So I've started working, been working for the past month now, and I know that school has started up so I probably won't be updating as often as I usually would. I'll update whenever I actually remember it and whenever I think everyone that's following or reading along has actually gotten a chance to read along.  
**

**-Kasai**

* * *

Deidara's arm got crushed, completely obliterated it from the shoulder down. He made a handsign with his other arm and threw out an owl, _poof_. His owl became bigger and he rode it like the one before, I sighed, irritated that he got away. I made a few handsigns,

"Metal Creation Jutsu." A pike came out of the disks I had used earlier to walk around up in the sky and others made a bee line for Deidara. I began to run across them, the ones I pass flying around me to be in front again. Gaara was barely surprised that he got out of his trap and I was going to throw a pike at him that I could control with my chakra. Deidara ripped his arm out of the sand, completely losing it now. I threw my pike at him, aiming directly for the bird, _three seconds... two seconds... one- _

"Gah!" Deidara held his shoulder as the pike went through it, it was the same arm that he had just ripped out to get away from the sand. He flew away some and stuck his hand into one of his pockets, pulling something big out. _Is that... Ohako? _I turned to look at Gaara,

"Gaara! That's-" **Boom! **An explosion had gone and hit the metal that was under my feet, causing me to fall down, _shit! _I looked up to see the doll become a giant masterpiece, in Deidara's words.

"It's distasteful to be attacked from below, hmmm? And I'm tired of seeing your expressionless face!" Deidara exclaimed, thrusting the giant doll towards the village. Gaara's eyes widened with fear and I put my hands together,

"Kagebunshin Jutsu!" I created shadow clones that would pull me up higher and higher then disappear as I slowly climbed up I heard-

"Not good! Run!"

"Too late!"

Explosion. My body was thrusted through the air from the force of the explosion, causing me to slam into Gaara's protective sphere. When his sand hardens, it's the toughest barrier in the world to break. My body just slammed into that. I felt a few things crack and pop as the sand suddenly loosened and let my body in,

"Kasai!" Gaara exclaimed, more emotion in his voice than usual,

"You're within range, hn."

"Gaara!" I called, sputtering blood as an explosion went off. I was suddenly brought into a dark hole, cradled by someone. I opened my eyes to see Gaara, panting above me. _Gaara is... holding me? _I sat up, but only seconds after the second explosion had gone off, we both saw small centipedes crawling through the sand. "Gaara!" I called out to him again, kicking my legs out from his arm and against the sand, throwing my body over his to protect him from the oncoming blast. All I saw was red, and there was an immense pain in my back and suddenly I was reminded about the time I left the Leaf almost three years ago. The sand began to dissipate as Gaara had been nearly knocked out from the blast, how I was still concious, I wasn't so sure. My eyes were barely open as I caught the fact that Gaara was putting the sand shield from Ohako's blast back into the desert, his sand also went with me to put me down where we had noticed Kankuro standing earlier.

"Ga...Gaara..." I barely managed, breathing hurt because it felt like my ribcage had caved in. Two arms encircled me and the sand was released,

"Ho ho... Leave it to you, Kazekage... Using the last of your strength to return the sand outside the village... When it'd be so much easier just to dump it on 'em. And letting the girl down, too? Hn..." Deidara flaunted about beating Gaara, I hadn't been much help, _Gaara, I have to go... help him... _I fought the darkness that bade me to enter it.

"Gaara!" Kankuro's pained voice reached my ears and my eyes suddenly snapped open and I saw Kankuro hand me off to someone else as he took off. I stood, surpressing the pain behind the sole fact that I could've done better. Baki immediately took action as he yelled at the others, forgetting about me. _Good._ I ran off after Kankuro, a tracking unit following close behind as we all ran for the Kazekage. We watched as they calmly left the village, thinking they were done. Kankuro ran through the big gap that was the Hidden Sands' entrance and I could see him pause. A medical ninja was at my flank, telling me to slow down because I was wounded,

"The hell I will!" I winced, stumbling slightly but pushed forward, "Kazekage-sama is in trouble, I will not stand by and heal while he is in the Akatsuki's grasp!" I shoved against the rooftop and flew forward, leaning forward so I would land in a squat and I flipped shoving off of my hands back into the air as I leapt after Gaara. My back was already feeling better, but not as well as it was about an hour ago, but nonetheless I ran. The team with me ran ahead as we saw Kankuro take off once more,

"What happened here?" One asked, checking all the wounded, hoping they were only wounded.

"Over here, one's alive!"

"Be careful-" Boom! I barely had enough time to save the team I had come in with as the walls had come tumbling down. I sent out shadow clones to gather up the team before the rocks could hit us, extra shadow clones knocking the rocks away as the copies of me raced back into the village with the wounded and dead. Baki was there,

"What happened?" Medical ninjas were spread around behind me, racing to the people my clones had, they began to poof away one by one.

"There was a trap set for us, they obviously didn't want to be followed, Baki." I grimly looked up at him and fell to my knees from the pain of my back injury. Taking a blast full force to your back from a bomb tears it up.

"Kasai!" Baki's voice was the last thing I heard as I let myself slip into a deep sleep.

"What's his state?"

"How are we supposed to develop an antidote... for a poison we've never even seen before?" A sigh could be heard, "but we've got to hurry, he's got two, maybe three days tops."

"First Gaara... then Kasai... and now Kankuro?" _Kankuro? Is he hurt?! _My eyes flew open and I was in a hospital bed with the curtain pulled around me. "In that case... our only choice is to consult the old ones..."

"Kankuro?" I called out, getting up and out of bed, that's when I realized I was in my chest bindings and baggy pants. Shuffling of feet as I fell through the curtain and towards Kankuro, "Kankuro?" I panted, looking at him, he was in immense pain. His eye opened partially, he looked up at me,

"It was _him._"

"Kankuro!?" Baki exclaimed, leaning down next to his mouth so he could hear him, his expression suddenly changed into one of surprise, then terror. I watched as he walked out of the hospital room with the look on his face that said the situation was grim, _so he finally realizes who the people were that attacked Gaara... _Kankuro struggled to keep his eyes open,

"Kas... Gaara... is.." I leaned down, my hair out of it's braid and in an intricate bun, leaving just enough hair to tickle his bare chest,

"Shhh, Kankuro. Rest. I'll go after Gaara. I know these people." I stood as his face relaxed slightly and he passed back out. Rushing back to my bed, I slid on my ninja gear, something I hadn't worn since Konoha was in trouble. Sliding on my Anbu undergear that Kakashi and I were twins with, I also put on my long sleeved shirt Kakashi bought me so long ago. Slipping on my shoes, I was ready to go,

"Lady Kasai! You aren't ready to go anywhere!" A medical ninja put his hands up to try and stop me, I gave him a glare,

"The Kazekage is in trouble and you want me to stay put!?" That shut him up as I went to the open windows and leapt out, _I'm a full day behind now, I'll have to triple time it. _I reached the exit of the village in no time as there were people clearing out the rubble still. Leaping over the rubble and people, I saw a group of five running for the entrance of Sunagakure, I didn't slow my pace. As soon as I hit the ground, I took off at a speed that would've shamed Lee into the dust that was trailing behind me.

_Gaara! _

* * *

I continued down the paths that Gaara's sand had crumbled upon, it didn't matter how far they'd gone. I'd find them. I know all of their hideouts by heart, they won't lose me. I could feel a rumble in my head, I was being too emotional._ Damn it, I need to get ahold of my anger, reign it in..._ I closed my eyes and took a deep breath-

**CRASH!**

I had jumped back just in time to miss an attack, one from a certain puppet's tail. Hiruko. I slid on the sand and glared up at my opponents, I used to consider them family, but now they intended to kill Gaara. My lose hair hung in my face, my red orange eyes glaring up at them from beneath my gray hair.

"Deidara." Sasori drawled in Hiruko's voice, "Isn't that the Jinjuuriki we used to keep?" My eye twitched at his statement, I was surprised they remembered me after four in a half years. Deidara seemed to squint his eyes at me, my eyes stayed in a constant glare.

"So it would seem, hn." He nodded, the giant bird behind him stopped while they were stopped, I spotted Gaara. Gaara, who I have spent the past two and a half years with while Naruto has been gone. The first friend I made as a Jinjuuriki and visited while I was on my travels. He was slowly dying, the sand armor he keeps on himself was even crumbling. I closed my eyes to try and compose myself.

_Da dun!_

I gripped my head, my heart beating in sync with the beast's inside of me, when I looked back up, I knew what they would see. My eyes go pure blue, they don't contain any irises and you can't tell where the pupil and iris begin or end when my beast and I cooperate like this. Like when Naruto's chakra mixes with the nine tails, his eyes take on the form and color of his beast, my body does the same as Naruto's. My hair, in its bun, began to just hover behind me from the chakra being released from my body. The muscles in my hands were tightening and my back bone curved, forcing me onto all fours. My limbs were forced to bend and my lips tightening against my jaw and teeth.

"Give. Him. Back." I growled, long claws forming from my nails and my teeth becoming those of a wolf.

"Oooh, it looks as though we've made our little wolf pup angry, Sasori, my man." Deidara stated, he seemed to be enjoying this reaction out of me. My body began to shake with anger as chakra began to bubble around me, black chakra from the Okami, the ten tailed wolf. My jaw seemed to readjust itself and crack as it grew slightly longer, creating a snout. My teeth grew sharper, my hair more rigid as it ripped out of the bun it was in. The black chakra had short pointed ears that hung just above my head, and a tail was growing out of the back of the cloak. My growling became more feral, more hungry.

"Deidara. What are we going to do with this one?" Sasori questioned, shifting slightly to look at Dei. I growled loudly, then roared, the roar causing tremors in the sand around us. Dei looked at me, surprised at how quickly my anger was rising.

"Well, I think it would be better for us to take her with us, hn. I mean, we can't just let her go, she knows everything about all of us, Sasori, my man." Deidara replied, ignoring me once more, Sasori growled lightly, but it wasn't like mine at all. I wasn't scared of them anymore, I had something to fight for, Naruto taught me that if you're going to fight for something never give up.

"You know how I hate to keep people waiting." He stated, then he looked at me with a sigh. Then the unexpected happened, Sasori came out of his puppet and walked over to me, "Kas, calm down." He said in a monotone voice, he gave me the smile only I had seen while I was at the Akatsuki hideout. I shook my head, taking a step back, he was trying to confuse me. Make me believe they still cared about me, unfortunately while I was thinking, Hiruko's tail shot out a vial and Sasori caught it, jamming the needle into my neck and burning his puppet hand slightly as the poison went into me. _Is he really going to try and kill me? _I realized the answer to that quickly as my body began to go numb, the Okami's power suddenly surged as I ripped out a roar so fierce that even Sasori scooted back, the bird that had Gaara flew back a few feet. My eyes began to flit from Deidara to Sasori.

"I'll kill you." I stated, not at all concerned about how my chakra level continued to rise, I usually didn't have this problem, seeing red is something new for me. I could feel the power surging quicker and deeper within me, my growling began to match the growling inside of me.

"Deidara. I'll take this one and meet up with you soon." Sasori stated, nonchalantly stepping back and getting into his stance,

"Are you sure, Sasori, my man? I mean, she is the ten tails Jinjuuriki, hn." Deidara countered, Sasori took it as an insult. He glared at Deidara,

"Go." He demanded, I took that as my moment to strike, his poison wasn't affecting me because of the chakra surging through me, it was healing me and eating away the poison. I swiped a paw at him and he barely had enough time to duck as a powerful burst of air ruptured above him, where I had intended to end him. His left index finger and ring finger moved, along with his right thumb and forefinger. I dodged to the left, miliseconds before Hiruko's tail slammed into the ground from behind, poison needles shooting out of his mouth at me while I was in the air. I used the tail that had formed behind me and swiped at the puppet, the needles were rendered useless as I had nearly crushed Hiruko.

"Tch. Why didn't you just mind your own business, Kas? Then we wouldn't have to be doing this." He tried to reason with me, that would've worked about ten minutes ago. I breathed, trying to take back control. I had seen two other Jinjuuriki's get taken down by the Akatsuki, I had warned the sand village, but they did little to nothing to protect their Kazikage. Figures since they had a traitor among them under Sasori's mind control, well now mind release jutsu. My movements became visible to the naked eye again, and Sasori took this as his moment to attack, while I was in midair and fighting for control. His left middle finger twitched as his thumb and pinky went down, his right first and third being pulled up. With a tenth of a second as my time frame to dodge, I just barely leaned to the right and dodged his raining needle attack, he had expected me to start falling left. Sasori had forgotten that I could read his movements.

"Out of my way," I growled, dodging his puppet again and came up under his left flank, I jumped up pulling my kunai back to attack him, but I left myself open. A chakra string had been attached to my body parts and I began to move out of my own will, Hiruko was lifeless and motionless as I quickly fell to the ground and begrudgingly made my way towards Sasori. He had a grin on his face that told me that he thought he'd won, I had left enough material here for any other ninja squad to follow us. Sasori couldn't get rid of that unless he started a sand storm.

"You won't win, Sasi." I spat at him, his nickname sounding like poison to both our ears now. He looked at me again with some regret, then it was quickly replaced with a dead expression,

"We always do, Kas." He replied in his monotone voice, jabbing me with a needle and watching as a liquid was quickly surpressed into my body. My Okami's chakra instantly disappeared and my body began to collapse. Sasori caught me and sat me on the ground whilst he got into Hiruko once again and wrapped his tail around my body. He was gentle about it, but how could I tell since my body was getting numb, I didn't know. He scooted along until we caught up with Deidara, the sun was hot as it beat down against us. I barely felt it though, my body was hoisted up onto the bird that was carrying Gaara, I slid down next to him.

"Sa...s...or...i..." I managed to get out, he looked at me through his puppet and seemed to hesitate for a moment before turning around and trudging along.

"Let's go, Deidara, I hate to keep people waiting."

"De... Dei..." The blond looked back at me with pity in his eyes, and tears begun to sting my own. I couldn't cry in front of these people, not anymore, it only showed weakness now. Somehow, I had managed to loll my head to the other side and face Gaara as we began to move. I saw Gaara's peaceful expression, and noticed the sand still crinkling off his body. If I had been able to move and not been poisoned, I probably would've gone into that mode again. But, instead, my own body began to get heavier and heavier as time went on. It started at my neck, then went to my upper arms and torso, then to my lower arms and hands as it spread down to my stomach, then it went down to my lower body to my legs and shins... then my calfs... then my feet.

_Gaara... Naruto... I... Forgive me..I wasn't strong enough..._

Darkness.

* * *

**A/N: Alright! Comment, PM me, if you have questions or if you're confused by something, go ahead and PM me, I don't bite... well hard and without reason... Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, promise I'll try and be better XD  
**

**Until next time!**

**-Kasai**


	16. It's My Turn!

I opened my eyes to the sounds of a bell ringing, air rushing by my head, and footsteps. I tilted my head ever so slightly to see Sasori in Hiruko and Dei walking side by side. The night air was cool, but Gaara's body was warm, regardless of him being half dead. Slowly, I snuggled into Gaara, looking at the two that ruined our lives, _if it weren't for the Akatsuki... I wouldn't even be here... If it weren't for _him _none of us would be in this situation... _Looking at the moon, I couldn't be sure how many days we had been traveling, nor how many nights.

"Feels good to be leaving the Sand behind, hm.." Quiet... footsteps and shuffling...

"Keep moving. I don't like keeping people waiting." Sasori growled, shuffling along in Hiruko,

"Yeah, right," Dei scoffed, looking at his companion, "You're one to complain, whose fault is it that it all took so long, anyway?" Dei countered as we headed towards a forest terrain. _I have to leave a trail or something that way the others can follow us if they mean to. _I wiggled my hands ever so slightly and caused one of my scrolls to slide up to me, since I was curled up and they weren't paying any attention, writing a note was easy to do.

_Kankuro, Temari, whoever finds this, go through the forest to find the hideout, it isn't too far in, it's in the land of rivers. Hurry. I know what they're going to do and Gaara may die... I can't move too much because they're keeping me poisoned to a point of where my body is only functioning so much. -Kasai _

Using my puppet ninjutsu that Sasori had taught me many years ago, I made it disappear into the sand so that whoever is tracking us could find it. _I hope they make it in time._

"We're both to blame for that." Apparently Sasori hadn't even noticed my chakra strings since he kept talking and shuffling along.

"That's true, I suppose, hn..." Dei agreed, not wanting to make Sasori angry like always. The clay bird we were on flew through the forest with no problem, evading all the branches that would hurt itself or us, _why bother? They're going to kill us anyways... _I sighed lightly, then gasped just as quietly biting my lip-

"So, my poison has worn off, has it?" Sasori looked up at Dei and I froze, _crap! _I leapt out of the bird's grip and slid back, almost into a tree. _Tch! My body's still weak from the poison.. _Dei grinned and looked at Sasori,

"This is going to keep them waiting even longer, hn." He folded his good arm absentmindedly forgetting he lost something,

"Forget something, Dei?" Pointing to my left arm, he got the point and his eyes became white circles in anger,

"I swear if we didn't need you alive-"

"Seriously? You guys raised me, you expect me to believe you could kill the little girl you raised?" I looked at Dei with big firey eyes and fluttered them at him. He seemed to grow red considering I wasn't a little girl anymore, Hiruko's tail came out of nowhere and nearly clipped me. The shirt Kakashi had gotten me years ago was now torn to shreds and the fishnet underneath was showing plainly. Not to mention the detonating clay packs I had on my hips. "Well, then. Didn't know you wanted to undress me, Sasi." I giggled at his response, I could feel him stiffen within Hiruko, which considering he shouldn't be able to feel anything I was the only person who could bring out his human side. Leaping back, I landed on a tree branch, throwing kunai with chakra strings attached and watched as they went towards Dei and Hiruko's tail blocked it. I grinned, "Got ya." I flipped the chakra strings around Hiruko's tail and flung my fingers in different positions so Sasi couldn't read them as the tail flew towards Deidara. He managed to barely dodge it,

"Hey! What's that for, Sasori, hn?" He slid back, using his good arm to hold himself up. Deidara looked... well, in a word, pissed. I've never seen him without a smile on his face, arrogant or not. Sasori turned his head slightly,

"It wasn't me, the brat has chakra strings attached to my tail." He replied, irritated that I'm putting up a fight. They both glared at me,

"Turning us against one another, hn? Would've been a great plan, if Sasori, my man, couldn't speak." He tossed two birds at me and they 'poofed', flying towards me at an incredible speed. I went to move but my legs wouldn't connect with what my brain was telling it, _tch! My chakra is all but depleted, I can't defend myself! _I threw my arms in front of my body and took the impact of Deidara's explosives and I flew back, my arms burning with more than just scorch marks. The skin on the front of my arms were seared, pink and tender to the touch. I didn't have any chakra to heal myself, so I'd just have to deal with it. Shoving my hands into my clay pouches I put some to my lips, _I'm nearly out of chakra, level zero. I'll have to tap into your chakra, Okami. _My friend growled within me in agreement, knowing how I dislike her trying to break through my seal like she did when I chased after them. My blue chakra was depleted, black chakra leaked through me and became my main source of power as I spit out the detonating clay and molded them into bird-like creatures.

"So this is art, hn?" I taunted Deidara, his eye twitched in irritation and Hiruko's tail struggled against my hold, I held fast to the strings I had on his tail and watched as irritation slowly turned into pure rage as the tail broke free and aimed at me once more, but more violently than before. Leaping back, I tossed the birds into the air and watched them twirl around Hiruko's tail until they hit their mark on Hiruko's underbelly. Unfortunately, Sasori knows better than to leave an opening against an opponent like me and had covered his underbelly with something that my explosives couldn't get through. Dodging side to side and avoiding Hiruko's tail, Deidara was throwing out explosives like it was a Kage's birthday. "Come on.." I grunted, barely avoiding an explosion as my body flew back and hit the side of Hiruko's tail, my back arched as a low cry escaped my parted lips. It was a struggle to just breath after that, I wasn't sure what was keeping my body moving: The fact that Gaara was right there and it was possible for me to save him... or... The fact that I wanted to beat the living shit out of the two guys who dared to try and take my friend from me.

"Just come quietly, Kas." Sasi threatened, I scoffed in reply,

"Please-" I dodged a few more explosions and sent some of my own, they flew out of my hands swiftly like kunai, "-I am not going to do anything concerning you anymore." The birds flew and hit their mark, the clay bird's face that was holding Gaara. Sure enough, the bird fell flat down onto the ground and I grabbed Gaara's body making shadow clones, "Kagebunshin no jutsu!" Suddenly, there were hundreds of me, me carrying Gaara. We all split up into the forest. I was hoping to at least delay them another day so they couldn't perform the ritual, I knew someone had to be coming after us. Any delay is welcome. I dashed through the quiet forest, watching the other copies of us run amuck trying to distract Dei and Sasi. Two of me were even so bold as to put Gaara down and fight the two themselves. _Whatever keeps them from findin- _My head was yanked back and I began flying through the trees, leaves, branches and tree trunks hit me, I shielded Gaara's body with my own. There was a chakra string attached to the back of my head and spinal cord, Sasori somehow placed them on my body during our battle, when, I'm not too sure. I flinched whenever I would go through tree trunks, fighting unconsciousness off like the plague. _I need to stay awake and fight, Gaara isn't safe anywhere near these guys... _Severe pain! My body cringed tighter around Gaara feeling the sting of shuriken in my back, but the poison was different from before. It made my body go numb and I fell, holding tight as I could to Gaara, I breathed out in defeat. Regardless of where my injuries were, I fell onto my back, making the shuriken dig deeper into my back. _Why is it always my back? _

"Should've listened, Kas. Deidara, let's go. We've kept them waiting long enough, you know how I hate keeping people waiting. This delay is going to cost us." He growled, watching as Deidara created another bird to carry Gaara and Sasori's puppet took the shuriken out of my back slowly, he didn't want to cause anymore pain than he already had. His actions showed me that. I glared up at him as he wrapped his tail around me and they moved quicker than before, no longer believing they had the time they so desired.

"I swear to you... You two will die if you kill Gaara." I managed to get out, tears of frustration and anger threatening my now blue eyes. Okami couldn't do anything with the both of us poisoned like this now, _Gaara. _Anger welled up within me, my low growling becoming louder, "I.. won't... let you!" With a loud roar, that was solely humane, I broke out of Hiruko's tail. I didn't break it but I managed to budge myself out of his cold metal tail. "I've had enough! Metal forging jutsu!" I jumped back away and while they were surprised at my sudden burst of strength I grappled them with limitless amounts of chains, I couldn't let them get away with this. This was my chakra now, not the Okami's, it was my strength. My anger. Myself. With a few handsigns I reared back, taking a deep breath in, "Fire style! Pheonix Flower Jutsu!" Making the metal encircling them so hot that it started to turn red, it mimicked the fury within me. Deidara began to whimper as he bit down on his lip, he'd rather bleed through his lip than admit that he's in pain. Sasori was having no problem being within his wooden puppet as the heat began to sear it, it would leave marks, no doubt. But I knew it wouldn't actually break through the wood, it's a special type of wood.

"Kasai!" Deidara gasped, my eyes widened and I released the jutsu, the chains disintegrated. I looked upon my long time friend and elder brother figure. Hanging my head, I walked over to Deidara and held my hands up,

"Dei, let me heal you..." _Damn it... I'm too soft. _Sasori growled lightly, standing behind me,

"No funny business. We're in a hurry." I nodded as a green glow appeared around my scraped up hands and I went down to the third degree burns and gently began to heal the skin. Deidara's grey eyes looked down at me with a fondness that was only for the hideouts, I dared not to look up, because I'd become too soft. If I looked into any of their eyes now, I'd break. Who knows, I'd probably gain a split personality if I saw Itachi, Pain, or Konan again. Deidara's skin was healing quickly because of the amount of chakra I put into it, I sighed.

"Alright. He's done." I stood, only to be stabbed by another one of Hiruko's hidden weapons dipped in poison. My body grew twice as weak as it was once before and I fell into Hiruko's tail. The cool metal of Hiruko's tail was actually quite welcoming, considering the new poison was making my body feel on fire and numb to a new extreme.

"We'll be there soon. We need to begin as soon as we get there." Deidara stated, looking up at me as my body went limp, my eyes were the only things that would work. _I can't stand this... why am I so weak!? I've spent two years sparring with Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, I should be stronger than this. _I studied my surroundings and could do nothing but wait... wait until the poison either wore off or completely shut my body down. Or wait until we reached the hideout for something to happen. Just. Wait.

* * *

Somehow during the journey I had fallen asleep, my body and chakra network had been used to their extent, when I had awoken... _Chains? _My body jolted and brought me to the world of the living as I realized that we had made it to the hideout. Fire colored eyes looked up at the big monstrosity in front of me, a big wooden face with two wooden hands- only... the face had nine eyes. The mouth was open and some kind of blue chakra was seeping out of it and a tiny stream of red was streaming into it from-

"Gaara!" I screeched, realizing what I was looking at. The images on the fingers looked at me, not expecting me to be up.

"Her resistince to your poison amazes me, Sasori." Pain stated, looking over at the ass who poisoned me. I couldn't move my eyes from Gaara, who was groaning in pain while having the Shikaku extracted from him. The sound made my stomach turn and I barfed on the ground in front of me, I wouldn't land on it, even if I passed out. My wrists were chained behind me on the cave wall and my ankles on the cave floor beneath me. I fought against the chains, shrieking at the family I had grown up with,

"How could you!? I don't care what his orders are, are you going to kill me too?!" I glared up at each of them and I could see unsure expressions, even on Pain's, and that wasn't humanely possible since he wasn't really there. Itachi and Kisame were the only ones who kept a stone expression, they were the two that had been closest to me, even more so than Pain and Konan. Kakazu was the one to speak,

"We need to concentrate, don't we? Why wasn't she sedated enough to last us until we were finished extracting this biju?" His green eyes looked down upon me and I growled, thrashing against the chains until I was pretty sure I was going to break my ankles and wrists. The orange haired traitor looked at me with his purple eyes and I felt nothing for him, he wasn't alive. He was a remnant.

"Kasai. Please-"

"No! I'm tired of you always asking me to let you do whatever you wish!" Konan jolted a little, the others made note of it, "I am not a little girl anymore, you people aren't protecting me, obviously... And I will fight you tooth and nail until I hunt all of you down like you will continue to hunt down the Jinjuuriki. At least this one won't be a problem to find." I gave them a sadistic grin that would've put Orochimaru to shame and they all seemed slightly disturbed in one way or another. They refocused their energy into extracting the biju and I lost it, I started shrieking and thrashing around, cursing and calling out to each of them in turn and I knew it was hurting each of them. Even Kakuzu and Hidan. Blood began to flow from the wounds that the shackles around my ankles and wrists created. Itachi looked at me with pity, the others didn't see this because they all had their eyes closed in concentration, my hair had ripped out of its long braid and my bangs laid in my eyes as I glared up at him. I wasn't sure how long they'd been working on Gaara, but I felt like it was all my fault. I couldn't do anything, I was trapped with my hands far enough apart to where I couldn't make handsigns- my feet! As I was thinking Gaara thumped to the ground in front of me, dead. Tears streamed down my face as I called out to him, the sound of my calls heartbreaking even to my own ears.

"Gaara! Gaara, please don't leave me... Gaara!" I continued to call out to him, saying different things every time and sometimes repeating myself. I was too busy screaming and crying that I didn't notice that the holograms had disappeared and Deidara had come down next to me, putting a hand down on my shoulder._  
_

"Kas... Please stop." He touched the middle of my forehead and I could feel myself calming down, that was something only Itachi would do- and he only did it to me and Sasuke- well when Sasuke was younger. Suddenly, I heard yelling outside,

"Dynamic entry!" _Is that... Guy? _I blinked, suddenly calm and looked at the giant boulder that separated us from the group outside. Unfortunately, for the umpteenth time in the past few weeks I've been with people, I got jabbed in the neck and poisoned. Once my body was out of commision my eyes stayed open so I could have vision of everything that is happening around me, they released the shackles around me and my body fell to the ground next to Gaara's. Apparently whatever barrier they had put up was currently being taken down by Guy's group, and hopefully not Naruto's. He'd freak out if he saw Gaara and I like this... He'll probably think I'm dead too.

**CRASH **

I heard five people dash in, four out of the five I knew very well. Lady Chiyo was amongst them and the girl I had met while she was having her father's funeral thanks to Tobi. At least that's what he wants people to call him for the time being. Then it was team Kakashi. _Kakashi's here? Oh, Kami, please don't let him think I'm dead... I don't think he can lose another one... _

"We were too late." Lady Chiyo stated, her grim eyes looking upon Gaara, I could feel the need to cry again but my body wasn't responding like I wanted it too. _I'm meant to look dead! _Okami thrashed around in my body trying to get it to react but it wouldn't-

"Gaara! Kasai!" Naruto called out to us, and on the inside I was torn up. Deidara grinned sadistically, but it couldn't beat the one I gave them earlier.

"They can't hear you. They're dead. See?" He leaned down and slapped Gaara's face, then kicked my hips to cause me to fall over, turning towards the ones I felt were family, even if I didn't know Lady Chiyo and Nizumi well enough. Apparently my eyes didn't reflect how I felt because Kakashi turned his eye away and Naruto's eyes turned a deep red, _not again. _

"Get your hands off of him!" Naruto began to run at the two and I would've stiffened if I had control of my limbs. Kakashi, thankfully, appeared and stopped him, knowing he couldn't take on both of them, even with the Kyubi.

"Control yourself, Naruto." Kakashi was holding an arm up to stop him, he was glaring at the two above me. Deidara grinned yet again,

"Sasori, my man, I think they want their precious Kazekage. Should I give it to them, hn?" Sasori grunted, seeming to sigh in irritation,

"I don't care." Deidara stood and put his hand in his pocket, pulling out his ride and a giant white bird appeared behind him as he hopped on its back, wrapping the tail around Gaara's dead body and flew out of the cave to attract Naruto. To which Kakashi would go after him.

"Hey! Get back here!" Naruto ran outside of the cave and after Deidara, who had his plan working, Naruto's eyes never left Deidara. He didn't even care about leaving the others to deal with Sasori, or my own body. If I could sigh, I would've. Abandoment issues arising again. _Great. _

"Naruto!" Kakashi ran after him like I feared, Deidara wouldn't hurt them though, he would want to separate them. Which means Kakashi would be in trouble anyways.

"Sasori." Lady Chiyo looked at Sasori, her grandson, and sighed. Sasori made no move to show emotion, let alone say hello.

"You're still alive?" He scoffed, irritated at her presence. I would've laughed in his face that his grandmother would be the one to fight him.

"I refuse to leave this world worse off then when I got here." She countered, regretting the fact that she let him get this bad. Nizumi looked at Sakura and Lady Chiyo,

"Distract him long enough for me to grab Kasai." She told them, they both nodded,

"Got it." Sakura stated, both of them getting into their fighting stance. I felt something cool slide around my body and I immediately relaxed, now used to being carried by his tail. It was something he always did when I was a kid, I always rode around on his puppets with him. Hiruko's tail began sliding down into his robe so Sasori could keep me in Hiruko with him. Suddenly chains burst from the dirt under us and wrapped around my ankles, the other end of the chains came from Nizumi and into her hands. A game of tug-of-war began with me in the middle. I felt a warmth envelop me, at least it felt warm to me, it burned through Hiruko's tail- _how hot is that stuff? _I saw some purple shuriken thrown at Sasori, they jabbed into Hiruko's body and exploded on impact; I was yanked away from Sasori. My body flew through the air and I felt a strong pair of arms grasp me as we slid across the water.

"Kasai!" my name was called and I saw Sakura bolt over to me and grab my wrist- _is she-? _I willed my eyes to look up at her, and they listened. "Oh my god. She's alive!" Nizumi looked at her in disbelief,

"Alive?" Sakura took a vile from her back pocket and jabbed it directly into my heart, _ouch... _

"There... the poison should wear off." Sakura stated, I could breath easier now. Attempting at a smile, my lips twitched as Lady Chiyo glanced back at us,

"Get Lady Kasai out of here!" She ordered, going into a fighting stance, _Lady Chiyo! Thank you... I'm sorry you have to fight him.._

"Got it!" Nizumi replied, picking my body up and carrying me up the canyon wall. When we came upon the ledge of the cliff she placed me down and I found it easier to breath, my keen ears heard an explosion go off, to which Nizumi looked off in that direction. She put her hands together in the form of her own jutsu,

"Chakra Molding Jutsu: Defensive Dome!" Nizumi sat down next to me, her icy blue eyes looked at me with sorrow in her eyes and anger as a purple barrier formed around my body. "Chakra Molding Jutsu!" A sphere of purple chakra appeared in front of her and she created little critters and shuriken with her chakra. "Focus now, Nizumi." She closed her eyes and her breathing slowed, her body immediately sagged a little from the amount of chakra she was using. I could see her lips moving every now and then, talking through the critters she sent around to, I assume, all the people that were with her. _What happened to Guy's team?_

"I'll be back, Kasai." Nizumi stated, probably not sure if I could hear her or not, I tried my best to nod my head but it just lolled to the side. _Good luck, Nizumi. _

* * *

**A/N: Okay well, I noticed that my chapters were getting shorter so I decided to elongate this one... LOVE IT DAMMIT! XD Anyways, tell me what you think! Don't be afraid to!  
**

**Until next time!**

**-Kasai**


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